Get the Goods: In the Green

Your spa’s retail area probably houses at least one product line that calls itself a friend of the environment. But how can you really tell? Are the products packaged in containers that are easy to recycle? What about the cartons they’re shipped in? Packaging—and the process of packaging itself—can make a big difference in proving how environmentally friendly your retail items actually are.
     DAYSPA asked Dean Maune, executive director of packaging at Aveda, to share some of the ways in which the company incorporates its well-known holistic approach into producing its environmentally sound products.

How do you incorporate your green philosophy into product packaging?
We’ve incorporated materials that can be recycled—not just downcycled—at the end of their use, so that they actually come back as useful packages. We’ve also partnered with a lot of suppliers to promote the use of efficient energy and post-consumer recycle (PCR) materials. For example, our carton supplier uses PCR content and relies on 100% wind power.
      The biggest effort is to communicate our goal to create a culture of recycling clean streams of recycled materials. Polypropylene, which is a material used on a lot of bottle closures, is difficult to recycle. We found a source that produces CD cases, and we blend those materials so that when a case comes to the end of its life, it’s repurposed into a new package. We call this reincarnation. We also educate our consumers on how to recycle. For example, the stickers on our holiday gift sets can be easily removed so the box can store CDs or display flowers.

Is green retailing really cost-effective?
Of course, our approach has always been focused on the environment first and the cost second. However, Aveda is one of the most profitable companies within the Estee Lauder portfolio. We try to deliver value to the customer while making sure the impact doesn’t affect generations to come. For example, we use plants and bamboo in merchandising, which is less cost-intensive than switching out fresh-cut flowers every few days.

Photo ©Photodisc.com

What green packaging trends do you think will expand in the coming year?
There used to be theories that incorporated the use of materials from cradle to grave. The philosophy at Aveda is cradle to cradle. We ask what the material will become at the end of its use. The inks and adhesives used on printed materials have contaminated the stream and created a closed-loop cycle. So we’re working with suppliers to make sure they’re as clean as possible for their next lives.