CoverGirl Takes A Major Step Toward Reducing Plastic Waste

Beauty products and sustainability don’t always go hand in hand. The sad truth is that landfills are filled with discarded beauty loot like plastic razors and makeup compacts, but with increasing awareness and renewed efforts to curb waste, many brands are taking steps to join the cause. Now, one of the biggest names in the industry is making a change: Starting Wednesday, June 23rd, CoverGirl’s popular Clean Pressed Powder Collection is getting new, more sustainable packaging with less plastic.

When asked about the makeover, Coty Inc.’s chief brands officer Stefano Curti told Bustle: “Our ambition is to create cleaner and more sustainable products that help meet the needs of socially and environmentally conscious consumers. Our products have an important role to play in building a sustainable future. Reducing our plastic consumption is simply the right thing to do.” As a major power player in the industry, this decision could drive a larger push to reimagine plastic packaging.

The Clean Pressed Powder Collection is the first CoverGirl product to undergo the redesign due to its overall impact on plastic use. Each of the powders — the Clean Pressed Powder, Clean Matte Pressed Powder, and Clean Sensitive Pressed Powder — will use 35 percent less plastic (saving tons annually) and feature a slightly different, more sleek look. But fans of the powder need not worry about any change with the powder itself — rest assured, you’ll still get the seamless coverage you know and love and the amount of powder included won’t be impacted.

“This was the next step in CoverGirl’s journey to becoming an even more sustainable and inclusive beauty brand,” says Curti. “To respond to evolving social and environmental challenges, we intend to keep sustainability at the heart of product innovation.” He added that the brand is looking into other ways to reduce its environmental impact and this is just the beginning.

The beauty brand has been making a conscious effort into making more environmentally-friendly choices for years now. In 2018, it became the largest makeup brand to be Leaping Bunny Certified by Cruelty-Free International. Then in 2020, CoverGirl launched its first clean vegan line Clean Fresh, which is formulated without sulfates, formaldehyde, phthalates, parabens, or talc. They’ve also introduced a clean, vegan, and FCS-certified Lash Blast Clean Mascara with packaging made from 80 percent recycled paper from forests.

You can shop the newness now at Ulta and other mass retailers. Here’s to a step closer for a more sustainable beauty world.

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