Only eight days in, it's evident that 2019 will be the year of zero-waste beauty.
Reports are already suggesting that brands and manufacturers will need to up their game when it comes to sustainability strategies this year, as environmentally-conscious consumers look to banish waste from every aspect of their lives.
It may come as no surprise then, that a New Zealand-based beauty brand that offers solid products in compostable packaging, has raised $2.8 million through crowd-funding.
Ethique (pronounced 'Et-eek') was founded in 2012 by NZ entrepreneur Brianne West, and now has over 350 shareholders who are passionate about her zero-plastic, zero-waste brand.
West needed to raise capital in order to grow the business, and around that time, equity crowd-funding had just been legalised in New Zealand. And as her brand grew, so did the interest in beauty with an environmental and ethical track record. "People are really on board with the idea of plastic-free beauty and that momentum is growing rapidly," West told the NZ Herald.
After two rounds of crowd-funding raises, West has been able to grow her brand and now sellsm products in the US, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Australia (through Priceline).
Priceline's haircare buyer Melissa Maden told the NZ Herald, "Customers are requesting products that are vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free and sulfate-free — no nasties. They're aware of their own impact on today's world through packaging wastage, chemical impact in our waterways and whether the product has been created ethically by the manufacturer."
As many other brands look to join the clean beauty movement, it appears a big shift in the industry is imminent.
