Environmental group A Plastic Planet has called for a ban on single-use beauty sample sachets in an open letter to top UK and EU officials.
The group referenced that the sachets, used to package shampoo, moisturiser, perfume, shower gel and face wipes, create some 122 billion items of waste every year by the personal care sector.
The open letter puts pressure on lawmakers to add the single-serve sachets to the single-use plastics ban, which includes cotton buds, plastic straws and stirrers.
So far, the ‘Sack the Sample Sachet’ has garnered signatories from members of the European Parliament, UK politicians, including 22 MPs, and top corporate personnel including Iceland’s Managing Director Richard Walker.
In the letter, A Plastic Planet called sample sachets the “ultimate symbol of our grab-and-go lifestyle” and insisted that “we cannot go on like this”, and that there are “no more excuses”.
Sian Sutherland, co-founder of A Plastic Planet, added: “We’ve seen governments across the world crow about bans on single-use plastics, but the sample sachet is a huge piece of the pollution puzzle which every one of them is missing.
“The hundreds of billions of sample sachets pumped out by the personal and home care industries each year are used to drive instant sales will pollute the planet for centuries.”
She also said there were no excuses for inaction with eco-friendly solutions “readily available”.
Beauty cleans up
Recent years, have shown beauty brands' commitment to cleaning up its environmental impact, particularly in terms of plastic waste.
In November alone, L’Oréal’s Garnier became the first major mass name to launch a no-plastic shampoo, Dermalogica debuted its refill technology for its Daily Microfoliant product and Beiersdorf launched a reduced plastic Nivea bottle to tackle plastic pollution.
Meanwhile, refillable stations have launched in swathes across the sector.
In partnership with Asda, Unilever launched Europe’s ‘largest’ refill trial for its Radox, Alberto Balsam and Simple brands, using Beauty Kitchen's technology.
Henkel's Authentic Beauty Concept also introduced a refillable station at hair salons in Europe earlier this month.