"In our fight to save the planet we’re not competitors, we’re allies."
REN’s new zero waste initiative is ground-breaking, not only in their efforts to reduce their impact on the planet, but in that they’re doing so in collaboration with major competitors.
Alongside Biossance, Youth to the People, Caudalie and Herbivore; REN are committing themselves to producing only eco-friendly packaging by 2025.
ADVERTISING THE COMPETITION DOESN’T MAKE A LOT OF SENSE IN TRADITIONAL BUSINESS. BUT THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS CALLS FOR ALL OF US TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY. TODAY REN CLEAN SKINCARE IS ASKING YOU TO CONSIDER BUYING PRODUCTS WHICH ALSO AIM TO BE CLEANER FOR THE PLANET, EVEN THOUGH THEY’RE OUR COMPETITORS.
While plenty of brands claim the ‘clean’ tag, REN have taken this a step further with their desire to eradicate plastic waste and create clean packaging.
REN are now aiming to only produce packaging that is recyclable, contains recycled materials or can be reused itself as part of their zero-waste ambition.
Due to the vast amount of plastic containers and packaging that end up in landfill and our seas each year, the industry must work together to turn this around and care for our environment. By partnering with Terracycle on their Atlantic Kelp & Magnesium Body Wash & Cream, they’ve been able to remove 1.5 tons of plastic so far from our oceans – now 20% of this product’s packaging is comprised of the reclaimed plastic.
Currently, 62% of REN products meet their zero waste pledge and with their newest packaging changes, they estimate that they’ll prevent 1.4 tonnes of new plastic being reduced to rubble this year alone. If you’re a fan of their Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA, you’ll notice that the newer versions no longer include the plastic inner pump.
Since 2018, they’ve worked hard to remove single use plastic sachets from their ranges, this alone has saved 4.4 million from entering landfill; similarly, by switching to 100% recyclable glass jars for products such as their Evercalm Balm they’re removing plastic from the beauty eco-system. The products that do remain in plastic packaging – as let’s be honest its lighter and less prone to damage – have slowly but surely been converted into either high-percentage or fully PCR plastic; Post-Consumer Recycled Plastics are created from used plastics and have gone through a recycling process to give it a second life.
By increasing the use of PCR Plastics, REN is helping to bring the beauty industry in line with the great work being done around the world in helping to develop and support the Circular Economy.
Another way REN has shaken up the beauty industry is through their development of Infinity Recycling with SABIC and Aptar, by using a combination of heat and pressure to break down the plastics to their molecular levels, a high-quality plastic to rival ‘virgin plastic’ is created and can be used in a variety of ways. This new technology allows mixed plastic waste to be recycled instead of going to incineration or landfill.
You can read more about Infinity Recycling here.
REN are working with Kinsume, the world’s first eco-affiliate network connecting brands, content creators and consumers. Having discovered through a recent study that planting 1.2 trillion trees would cancel out a decades worth of CO2 emissions, Kinsume are planting a tree for every sale made through their platform as part of their mission to plant 10 million trees each year.