The issue of sustainability has recently become a current focus of research in most scientific fields. This also means that the concept of sustainability is becoming increasingly diverse. The common outcome of these is the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
In 1984, the UN General Assembly’s World Commission on Environment and Development, led by Brundtland, prepared its report entitled “Our Common Future.” According to it, “sustainable development can be defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” The foundations of the sustainability framework, formulated through a treaty, were detailed in the “Transforming our world: sustainable development by 2030” program adopted by the UN member states in 2015 and the seventeen sustainable development goals (SDGs).
The Sustainable Development Goals are based on the three dimensions of sustainability and include the elements of economic development, social inclusion and sustainable environmental management. In other words, sustainability has become a complex concept that can be divided into environmental, social and economic pillars. Real sustainability can be achieved through their parallel development and interaction. Economic sustainability aims to live in an economically sustainable way, maintaining living standards in the long term, while social sustainability aims at the sustainability of social capital. These are essential for a balanced approach to sustainable development.
Through sustainability, certain institutions of human society (states, organizations, companies, operating mechanisms) are able to survive in the long term. That is, their existence is not unsustainable.
There are many tools for achieving sustainability, i.e. the sustainability transition and achieving sustainability goals. One such tool is the circular economy: the circular economy represents an economic system that aims to reduce waste and resource use, creating a closed-loop cycle and striving to improve efficiency at all stages of the product's life cycle.
In the beauty industry, product developers, product manufacturers and service providers are increasingly integrating a sustainable approach into their corporate policies and business operations. This is due, on the one hand, to increasingly strict regulations at the international level, and, on the other hand, to the strengthening of social expectations. Today's beauty consumer requires much more conscious, deeper knowledge and information about the product they want to buy or the activities of the company that produces it. This leads to an exponential growth of the market for sustainable products and services.
There are currently hundreds of cosmetic companies that integrate sustainability into one or more stages of their product life cycle. These companies typically make greater sustainability commitments, such as designing recyclable packaging, significantly reducing waste generation, material use, packaging, the use of non-organic ingredients, and water use.
So-called sustainable ingredients have also emerged as an important segment of product development, addressing all dimensions of sustainability (environmental, social and economic) at all stages of the product's life cycle. Similarly, bio, natural, organic, green, etc. products have also become widespread, which generally refer more to the origin of the product's ingredients and the related agricultural practices.
In contrast, in the case of sustainable ingredients, the most important factors to be examined are primarily the composition and biodegradability of the raw materials, their sources (natural - animal, plant or microbial origin, synthetic, natural origin, etc.), production methods, and their social and economic impacts.
Product packaging has also changed significantly in recent times: packaging-free products, recyclable and reusable packaging solutions, and bioplastics are becoming more common. In addition, many developments are underway in the field of refill systems.
AW Cosmetics Sustainability Strategist
AW Cosmetics is committed to providing its premium cosmetic and aesthetic services in an environmentally friendly, socially responsible and economically efficient manner in the heart of Budapest, while setting an example in sustainable luxury beauty care.
Our goal is to provide our clients with high-quality facial and body treatments, as well as therapies for hair and scalp problems, while minimizing our ecological footprint, protecting the health of our employees, and contributing to the well-being of our community.
Our vision is to operate as the leading sustainable premium cosmetics center in Budapest in the long term, where technological innovation, environmental awareness and social responsibility are in perfect symbiosis.
AW Cosmetics Sustainability Strategy is available HERE.
