Eight million tons of plastic flood the earth’s oceans annually.

While there are many contributing factors, a reported 95% of cosmetic packaging is thrown away. Beauty packaging is not typically accepted in most curbside recycling programs due to its size or using various materials.

As sustainability continues to shape consumer choices, Sephora says it’s remaining at the forefront. This Earth Day, the retailer aims to encourage the beauty industry to make more responsible choices by giving shoppers the tools, incentives and information they need to make a real impact.

Environmental Initiatives

Sephora Beauty (Re)Purposed – As Pact Collective’s largest prestige beauty retail partner, Sephora has collected more than 68,800 pounds of beauty packaging material (approximately 1.37 million tubes of lipstick) across all Sephora stores in North America—helping to close the loop on beauty packaging waste.

Refillables on the Rise – Seventy brands create refillables, including seven of the top 10 skincare brands. Since April last year, refillable skincare SKUs have grown by 11%, while fragrance saw 12 new refill SKUs added.

Sustainable Choices – To foster trust and transparency, Sephora launched the Planet Aware seal. This seal indicates which brands have met specific criteria for ingredient sourcing and formulation, sustainable packaging, corporate commitments and consumer transparency. “Planet Aware at Sephora” brands must comply with a minimum of 32 mandatory criteria across these four key sustainability related pillars. Today, 47 brands available in the US qualify.

Gamifying Sustainability – Last year, from May 30-July 31, Sephora launched its Responsible Beauty Challenge, which engaged almost one million participants and encouraged various conscious shopping choices. This year, the Sephora Beauty Insider Challenge “Try It All 2025,” continues to engage and incentivize Beauty Insider members to take sustainable actions and receive rewards.