April 22, 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the day during which we demonstrate our support for the conservation and preservation of Earth, and celebrate our connection to the planet on which we live. Despite the current COVID-19 pandemic, with many of us staying home and practicing social distancing the Earth itself is healing thanks to less pollution. Though many businesses are facing hardships, many within the spa, beauty, and wellness industries are still making sustainability a priority. Here, discover what several brands are doing to help save our planet.
Boscia has partnered with recycling company Terracycle to launch a recycling initiative, during which consumers can send back their empty Boscia packages. Those who wish to participate can complete the online Boscia x Terracycle form for a pre-paid shipping label, which will be sent via email. The label can then be used to pack up and ship three to five full-sized empty boscia bottles back to the skincare brand to receive a full-size Luminizing Black Charcoal Mask. “It’s always been our goal to progress our sustainability each year,” says Lan Belinky, cocreator of Boscia. “Our new recycling program is the perfect way to take, ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ to heart.”
Earlier this year Babor became 100 percent climate neutral, meaning the brand achieved zero net man-made greenhouse gas emissions. It also created a Green Agenda to continue its sustainability efforts. The agenda includes 100 percent recyclable packaging, a 30 percent reduction of plastic use by 2023, and supporting Plastic Bank, an initiative that works with individuals in countries such as Haiti and the Philippines to harvest plastic waste from their beaches and boosting their income. This Fall, Babor employees will begin planting a forest of 1000 trees near the Aachen headquarters. “Environmental responsibility and preservation are embedded in Babor’s DNA,” says Tim Waller, the CEO of Babor Americas. “As a family owned company with roots in the bio-medical field, we have the vision and ability to create progressive sustainability measures that are as impressive and ground-breaking as the high-performance products that we produce.”
Since Earth Day 2018, the natural nailcare brand Dazzle Dry has been partnering with WeForest to plant trees and help regenerate the forests of India’s Khasi Hills. One tree is planted for each sale from Dazzle Dry’s WeForest collection, and nearly 56,000 trees have been funded by the brand in the past two years.
This year’s Earth Day also marks the one-year anniversary of the launch of Odacite’s Blue Aura Cleansing Water. The skincare brand has promised to plant 10 trees for each bottle sold, and its ultimate goal is to plant 20,000 trees in 2020. Another sustainable option that Odacite is offering is its new 552M Argan + Coconut soap-free shampoo bar, named for the 522 million shampoo and conditioner bottles thrown away each year. The shampoo bar nourishes the scalp with argan-, coconut-, jojoba-, and orange oils, works on all hair types, and saves the equivalent of about three shampoo bottles.
Resorts are striving to do their part as well. Four Seasons Resorts Maldives continues its legacy of conservation work with a new partnership with the Now Force for Good Alliance, a global community that seeks to reduce any negative impacts of the hospitality industry on the environment, and EarthCheck, a scientific benchmarking, certification, and advisory group for travel and tourism, which vows to create a more Earth-aware and conservation-conscious travel industry. “Our partnership with NOW and EarthCheck is about how we continue to expand our sustainability efforts in a changed world,” says Armando Kraenzlin, Four Seasons Resorts Maldives regional vice president and general manager. “With space to reflect suddenly forced upon us, the time is now to choose a different kind of future. Through collaborations like these, there’s a chance for the travel industry to establish a new way of being a new way of being where sustainability actions are the norm, not simply the ideal.” Some of the resort’s other efforts have included the establishment of Marine Savers, its marine conservation team, on-site water-bottling plants, solar energy installations, and Parley-linked plastic recycling schemes.
Meanwhile, Chiva-Som International Health Resort (Hua Hi, Thailand) was officially selected as one of the 50 Sustainability & Climate Leaders for 2020. A sustainability and climate action movement backed by Bloomberg L.P., the project features organizations from the international business community that are taking initiative in the fight against climate change. Chiva-Som also released an article by its corporate director of sustainability and compliance Dilshan David, which details ways in which everyone can do their part in keeping our Earth beautiful and healthy for generations to come.
Though Earth Day and Earth Month often bring environmental awareness to the forefront of our collective consciousness, it's time society follows in the footsteps of these brands and further continues its efforts to create a healthier planet year-round.
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