Every April since 1970, Americans have come together to protest practices that are harmful to the environment and seek better, more sustainable ways forward. In fact, the movement was a major factor in getting key legislation—like the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act—passed.
This year, celebrate its 51st anniversary with events planned April 20-22nd, Earth Day organizers are focusing on the most pressing issues facing our planet with a Restore Our Earth theme. It’s a massive challenge—but one with enormous amounts of opportunity for action and change. While many Earth Day 2021 events are on virtual platforms, there are still plenty of ways you can get involved. Take a peek at this digital Earth Day event calendar for local and digital events or commit to making a few small changes at home that can have a major impact.
The Professional Beauty Industry’s Impact on the Planet
It’s no secret that green (and blue), sustainable beauty is a huge movement in the beauty world right now—and for good reason! The beauty industry is a major producer of plastic waste, a lot of which ends up in our oceans. And, the actual processes involved in manufacturing and distributing products, not to mention providing services, are huge contributors to environmental damage and climate change.
The good news? It doesn’t have to be this way! In fact, some brands are already taking action and committing to more sustainable products and practices. For both consumers and beauty pros alike, this presents an ideal opportunity to make better, more environmentally friendly choices.
Eco-Friendly Brands We Love
What better way to celebrate Earth Day than to swap out less-sustainable products for those created by brands focused on doing what they can to protect the environment? Plus, many of these products are also vegan, cruelty-free, and contain naturally derived ingredients, so you can feel good about what you put onto your hair and skin and how it affects the planet.
Sustainable Packaging: Redken's Cradle to Cradle Certified Packaging
Unveiling a new look for the brand, this year Redken introduced its Cradle To Cradle-certified,* packaging that’s recyclable** AND comprised of at least 93% recycled plastic***, the redesign focuses on setting the bar high for sustainability while also creating a clear call out for the ingredients inside the bottles. With easy-to-read descriptors on the front of each bottle, you’ll notice details like percentages of active ingredients, pigment specifics and pH levels easily called out on the front of each product.
- *All bottles produced at our plant in Florence, Kentucky have accomplished Cradle To Cradle Certification at the Silver level. The Cradle to Cradle Certification is one of the most recognized standards for products that are safe, circular and made responsibly.
- The certification is a multi-attribute certification:
- Products are evaluated across 5 criteria categories: Material health (ingredients), material reutilization (packaging), water stewardship (manufacturing), renewable energy (manufacturing) and social fairness (supply chain/human rights).
- Products are then ascribed a certification level based on their performance: basic, bronze, silver, gold or platinum.
- The certification is a multi-attribute certification:
Vegan Products: KEVIN.MURPHY’s Top Picks
Vegan beauty—not to be confused with cruelty-free beauty—is not just a trend; it’s a lifestyle. Luckily, for those looking for beauty products that not only fit in with their choices but also actually produce fantastic results, there are plenty of choices from KEVIN.MURPHY to pick from. Made from naturally sourced, high-performance ingredients, there’s no compromise when it comes to performance. Click here to see all of the Vegan (and Gluten-Free) product options KEVIN.MURPHY has to offer.
Sustainable Power: Keune Makes Moves Toward Being Carbon Neutral
Based in the Netherlands, Keune Haircosmetics manufacturing plant is entirely powered by solar energy harnessed from the 3,682 solar panels on their rooftop and by 2022, their plant in Soest, the Netherlands, will be completely carbon neutral. Additionally, they’ve reduced water waste by 37% with their local well and new cleaning system and saved more energy by using quad-layered glass “daylight lanes” to illuminate the factory, plus their LED lighting saves 62% more energy than regular lighting.
A New Reason to Love Wella Company
Giving us all a new reason to love Wella Professionals color portfolio more than we already do, in 2021 the majority of the Wella color portfolio* is using 100% recycled aluminium, which avoids using 723 tons of virgin aluminium per year.**
(*incl. Koleston Perfect, Illumina, Color Touch and others) and all regions except ASIA
(**vs sourcing virgin aluminium)
Better for You, Better for the Planet: Hairstory
Hairstory's New Wash formula has already risen to popularity for its ability to cleanse hair without stripping scalp and strands of essential oils. Apart from promoting healthier hair and scalps, the detergent-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free, and sulphate-free New Wash by Hairstory is 100% biodegradable and environmentally friendly. As part of 1% for the Planet, 1% of New Wash sales are also donated to water-related issues. A brand transitioning to a fully recyclable company, Hairstory has an entire line of high-performance products that should be on your radar!
