KATIE CHESTER

Head of Ecology, Smink Laboratories, United Kingdom

Managing the environmental impact of beauty products is high on everyone’s agenda, be it brands, manufacturers or consumers. Traditionally termed sustainability, in the past few years there has been an emergence of a new approach named neo-ecology. Described by the global trends experts, Zukunftsinstitut, (1) neo-ecology is a blend of ecology and economics, driving towards a target of radical behavioural change on the part of the industry and the individual. (2)(3)(4) In this context, the word ecology is used in recognition of the fact that human well-being is intrinsically linked to the health of the planet, which can only be achieved via a harmonious relationship between humans and nature. Neo-ecology comprises five key areas of focus:

• Sustainable resource management: Efficient use of resources, reducing waste, and promoting circular economy principles.
• Circular economy: Promoting a system where resources are reused, recycled, and repurposed.
• Environmental protection: Preserving ecosystems, biodiversity, and natural habitats.
• Social equity: Ensuring fair distribution of resources and benefits, addressing social and economic inequalities
• Technological innovation: Utilising technology to develop sustainable solutions and reduce environmental impact.

Neo translates to “new” (5), and ecology is “the branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings.” (6)

Neo-ecology is a new way of interacting with the world, discussing three systems: the economy, people, and nature. Historically, in our society, for one system to thrive, another must decline. For example, to maintain a thriving economy, it has been thought that nature and our planet must deteriorate. Sustainability has been seen as a compromise in some way, but this does not have to be the case. All these systems consistently interact. By understanding these interactions and reframing the conversation, there is a world where the economy, nature and people thrive. Neo-ecology is a new way of looking at the world, a much larger, holistic overview. A key area of neo-ecology is reframing the discussion into a more empowered, solutions-focused conversation. Within beauty, this could be changing from “How am I going to launch 100 products this year and sustainably source the materials?” to “Why are we launching 100 products? What is the impact of what we are creating? What problems are we solving with these products?”

Sustainability was defined by the United Nations Commission in 1987. This definition discusses managing resource usage to ensure both current and future generations’ needs can be met. (7)(8). Globally, there have been many new technologies created since sustainability was defined, yet this has not always translated into a more sustainable society. For example, traditionally, cars use crude oil-derived fuel. Many of these cars have become more fuel-efficient, so it was predicted that fuel consumption would decrease. In reality, there are now more cars on the road, so fuel consumption has remained the same. This improvement in technology and efficiency has not resulted in a sustainable outcome that was expected. (9)(10)

Earth’s resources are being used at a greater pace than previous generations. Earth Overshoot Day has been created to raise awareness of this topic. This is the day, in which all the resources that the Earth can regenerate in one year have been used. If, as a planet, we were living sustainably, this would fall on 31^st December, however, in 2024, it fell on the 1^st August. (11) This means we used all the Earth’s resources that can be regenerated for one year, in seven months as opposed to twelve. This day was suggested by Andrew Simms, who worked for the New Economics Foundation in the early 2000s. In 2006, the first Overshoot Day Campaign was launched by the New Economics Foundation in partnership with the Global Footprint Network. Following this, previous overshoot days were calculated back to 1971 as well as each successive year from 2006 onwards. The Global Footprint Network calculate what day Earth Overshoot Day should fall on, using the information from National Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts, as well as other sources, to ensure the estimation is as accurate and reflective of the current year as possible. (12)(13)(14) This campaign has highlighted how quickly we use the Earth’s resources.

Neo-ecology encourages us to consider the mindset shift required to ensure we stop using the Earth’s resources at this unsustainable rate.

Sustainability is difficult to achieve. Within personal care, consumable goods are created, ultimately leading to more waste. According to Business Waste,120 billion pieces of beauty packaging are disposed of globally each year. (15) Although there has been a rise in “take back” schemes (16), there is less direct, instant benefit to the customer to minimise beauty waste. The very nature of beauty formulations, especially the drive for longer lasting and more water-resistant formulas, makes it difficult to reprocess or re-sell product. Therefore, recycling beauty products is not widespread consumer behaviour. By utilising the principles of neo-ecology, we can address the challenges the beauty industry faces in becoming more circular.

Focusing on joy might lead to consumer investment in beauty refills. Within the home care industry, many brands do this. One company, Replenish Bottling LLC, provides customisable, aesthetically pleasing packaging, encouraging consumers to want to use their product for life. They have reframed the narrative from a chore to refill to a delight to keep. (17)(18)

This could be applied to beauty to increase customer loyalty and move away from the current levels of single-use products. Developing a formulation that meets expectations should be the minimum. We need to produce something that offers value greater than the value of the individual resources used to create the product. By achieving high levels of quality and efficacy but also sparking joy within the consumer, a beauty buyer is more inclined to use the product regularly and to the very last drop. This means they are more likely to see the maximum benefit of the formulation and use a refill system. Ensuring safe and hygienic refills may need clear additional communication or building in supply chain infrastructure, but by altering the perspective, we can decrease the huge waste that the personal care industry creates.

As sustainability or being “eco-friendly” is rising on consumers’ agendas, it is likely to become a ticket to play in the market, rather than a nice to have. Younger consumers such as Gen Z or Generation Alpha may expect sustainable or “eco-friendly” products as standard. The framework of neo-ecology can be used to enable brands to navigate this.

Neo-ecology can be split into four areas: future values, future markets, future environment, and future business. (2)(3)

The first value, generation global, acknowledges that we are all highly interlinked and interdependent across the world. The level of globalisation and interconnectedness is likely only to increase. As a result, brands reach a greater global audience. This means the beauty industry has to formulate for a wide range of territories, which can require ensuring stability at high temperatures or managing compliance across several different legislations. There is a need for global harmonisation of chemical compliance regulation.

With increased globalisation, today’s consumer has a wider-reaching impact than previous generations. Combined with increased awareness of our role in international issues, individuals are starting to see themselves as personally responsible.

This value of recognising that we are collectively responsible for the planet and our personal decisions have a global impact, is named post-individualism. An example of how this value is embodied within consumers is through their purchasing decisions. In the current marketplace, individuals may choose to buy a product based on its environmental impact or due to the brand values aligning with their own. Modern items often involve more global sourcing, and buyers have more choices than previous generations, as well as increased awareness of their impact. Customer’s purchasing decisions are altering how brands source and position products.

In terms of its relevance to beauty, much of this lies in the supply chain and sustainable, ethical sourcing. Biotechnology can offer the ability to efficiently create large amounts of materials without requiring agricultural space, fertilisers and other energy-intensive inputs. For example, Lanzatech is a biotech company creating multiple products using greenhouse gases as the starting material. This could pave a new way to produce materials, which have an inherent positive impact from conception. (19)

These two values: generation global and post-individualism are shaping consumers’ and companies’ behaviours.

Neo-ecology considers future markets. We live in an extremely high-consumption world. The friction has been removed from shopping; it has never been easier to buy, consume and create waste. Therefore, as an industry, we need to consider what we are producing and why. Creating purpose-led products, that offer value and live up to claims and expectations for the consumer is a way for businesses to succeed in a post-consumption market. Consumers considering what they purchase and why also plays a role in the future market.

If we are truly to move towards a sustainable future, we must consume less than we do today and move towards a post-growth economy. This is where everything needed to sustain life is the priority of systems instead of only economic factors such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP). We cannot continue to prioritise profits over the health of the people and planet. The post-growth economy discusses moving away from solely economic growth as the goal and considering other measures of success. Interestingly, the Kingdom of Bhutan do not use GDP as a barometer of success but Gross National Happiness instead. This is an index encompassing a variety of factors such as psychological well-being, health, and ecological diversity and resilience. There are other ways of ensuring the economy, nature and people thrive without the need for constant economic growth. (20)(21)(22)

Future environment is the idea that the health of the planet and the health of humanity is completely intertwined, if one declines, so does the other. Previously, humans have separated themselves from the planet, but humans are part of nature and a huge dominating factor on the earth. Society can no longer cause the planet’s health to decline without seeing the impact on humanity.

This can be seen in numerous ways, for instance, environmental changes exacerbating skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis or acne vulgaris. (23) Being an external organ, the skin is likely to be impacted first, as a result of environmental change. Beauty brands are reacting to this, and we can expect more formulations in the future that will address the new skin needs we are now seeing due to the changing environment.

The final area of neo-ecology is future business. Companies are constantly launching new products to maintain profits, resulting in high consumption. This need for infinite growth has contributed to the decline of the planet. However, neo-ecology describes people, nature and the economy all thriving. Therefore, financially viable businesses are required alongside flourishing ecosystems and society.

Neo-ecology discusses businesses moving towards the post-growth era; life and everything needed to sustain life is the priority. (1)(20)(21) We need to reframe and consider how businesses operate. In beauty, this necessitates brands to create purpose-led products that truly connect to the consumer. These formulations are then more likely to be used to completion, allowing the customer to refill the product or recycle the packaging. This increases the likelihood that the consumer will repeatedly purchase the product, minimising the cost of acquiring a new customer each time. The result will be higher profits and a financially viable business whilst minimising waste and unnecessary consumption.

Therefore, by being bold and focusing on creating 10 great products instead of 100 items, brands can live in the values of neo-ecology whilst still having a profitable business. We need to reframe product development from “How am I going to launch 100 products this year and sustainably source the materials?” to “Why are we launching 100 products? What is the impact of what we are creating? What problems are we solving with these products?” The answer lies in deeply interrogating what products the consumer needs and then creating a low number of high-quality formulations that the beauty buyer will cherish.

Neo-ecology is a megatrend, addressing the interactions between people, nature and the economy. It is a tool that can be used within the beauty industry to move sustainability forward. This is necessary as sustainability is difficult within beauty but will be expected by future consumers. Neo-ecology can be applied to beauty in numerous ways, whether that is deciding what products to launch, global regulation, or sourcing and procurement. A change of mindset and reframing is key within this new approach and is required to enact meaningful change. The outcome of this megatrend is a healthy future for both the planet and business, with all three systems: people, nature, and the economy thriving.