EP188. The great plastic recycling myth

11/23/23 • 7 min

Green Beauty Conversations by Formula Botanica

Growing up in the Netherlands, Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier learned the value of recycling plastic from an early age. However, the prevailing culture of single-use plastics Lorraine experienced in countries like the United Kingdom and the United States was in stark contrast to the practices she grew up with in the Netherlands.

Now, with her career in the cosmetics industry, and background as a Chartered Environmentalist and a biologist, Lorraine is finely tuned to any cosmetics firms’ claims about sustainable packaging, plastic-free alternatives and other green credentials. While many big players are moving towards more responsible packaging systems, a pressing question remains: what really happens to our recycled plastics? Is the labeling of certain plastic cosmetic packaging as recyclable, blindsiding us and akin to greenwashing?

In last week’s podcast, Lorraine interviewed Dr Suvi Haimi, Co-Founder and CEO of Sulapac, who brought to light the myth of plastic recyclability, revealing that some plastics can only be recycled once. In today’s Green Beauty Opinions, she explores this crucial issue. To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

Previous Episode

EP187. A plastic-free future for beauty

In this episode, we’re delving into an issue that lies not only at the heart of the green beauty industry, but one that we raise in our conversations time and again on this podcast – sustainability and tackling plastic waste.

When we come across innovative answers and practical solutions to help reduce plastic waste in the beauty industry that are also within reach of small, indie beauty businesses, we are keen to explore them and spread the word about how they deliver on their promise.

Podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier is joined by Dr Suvi Haimi, CEO and Co-founder of Sulapac, a pioneering company based in Finland that is on a mission to replace conventional plastic with sustainable alternatives.

We’re proud to say that some of our graduate beauty founders and brands are already using Sulapac’s packaging and contributing to a plastic-free future in the beauty industry.

If you wish to follow their lead, we encourage you to listen in to our interview with Suvi as we explore the innovative ways Sulapac is combating plastic waste and contributing to a greener planet.

To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.

Next Episode

EP189. The biotech ingredient wars

In this ground-breaking episode of Green Beauty Conversations, we dive into the world of biotech beauty, a realm where the age-old practices of botanical extraction meet cutting-edge science.

For millennia, the natural world provided the raw ingredients for cosmetics. The early 1900s brought chemistry to bear on ingredient manufacture, but now, with the massive rise in demand for all-natural beauty products, we are seeing demand for plant-extracted cosmetic ingredients outstripping supply.

Factor in the costs to the natural world associated with growing, harvesting and processing plant-based ingredients, and you begin to realise that biotech could be the sustainable solution for the beauty industry. Biotech ingredients that mimic plant extracts like for like can scale, be created sustainably in a lab, reduce costs, claim efficacy and be high-performance cosmetic ingredient sources. Are we at the cusp of a massive shift to biotech in the cosmetics industry? Are we also about to see ingredient wars between the all-natural, plant-extracted camp and the biotech pioneers?

Our guest, Josh Britton, CEO of Debut Biotech, guides us through the revolutionary changes biotechnology is bringing to the cosmetic industry. Join podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier as she uncovers how Debut Biotech is leading the charge in this new era, transcending traditional methods to create high-performance, sustainable ingredients.

To learn more about this episode, all of the links that were mentioned and anything else, please visit the show notes on the Formula Botanica website.