Adore Beauty chronicles the company’s journey towards a #waronwaste that saw it unlock thousands in revenue and dramatically grow its customer base.
Two years ago after receiving scores of feedback from consumers about its use of plastic packaging, beauty mogul Adore Beauty knew something needed to change.
Consumer sentiment was rapidly evolving alongside global concern about the impact of waste and pollution on the planet’s future and consumers were more interested than ever in brands that took responsibility for their environmental footprint.
In 2017 the newly appointed general manager of Adore Beauty, Sarah Mullen, took it upon herself to start the company on a lifelong journey towards sustainability.
Speaking at Online Retailer 2019, Mullen told the audience that the brand started from the bottom up―first eradicating polystyrene packaging and replacing it with RAMPAC paper and giving staff Keep Cups to reduce coffee waste.
“We listened, we sat down and we said we care about these truths and sustainability was one,” she explained.
Next in line, the company transformed their popular goodie bags to a more sustainable calico option.
The move resulted in big efficiency gains for the company―enabling them to assembly 220 bags an hour instead of 100―a change expected to save the company a whopping $40,000 next financial year.
With a view to not only become more sustainable but more efficient, the company decided to make all of their loyalty cards digital―saving the plastic generated from the 22,000 cards printed each year.
With the packaging of items for delivery one of the biggest generators of waste in the supply chain, Adore Beauty also kickstarted a systematic review of its packaging process to see whether or not smaller boxes could be used in the process.
The review ultimately saw a huge reduction in the company’s waste output, with 80 per cent of orders once packaged in the small box down to 40 per cent in the new custom smaller boxes.
“We predict that for the next financial year that will save about $114,000. And again, that might seem small, but that’s absolutely straight to the bottom line,” Mullen said.
But the journey doesn’t end here for Adore Beauty. In fact, it’s just beginning.
Having seen huge return on their sustainable investment, she says the company will not only be eradicating bubble wrap but also looking to introduce a more eco-friendly product range.
By Georgia Clark
This article first appeared on retailbiz
