Andy Warhol once said, “land is the best art.”

On this Earth Day 2025, beauty brands are working overtime to reduce their carbon footprint while encouraging individuals, communities and governments to protect the planet’s natural resources and address environmental challenges from pollution to climate change.

The first Earth Day organized 55 years ago by then-US Senator Gaylord Nelson mobilized some 20 million Americans to demonstrate for environmental protection. Today, the day has burgeoned to a worldwide movement, celebrated in more than 190 countries.

In the beauty world, a reported 95% of cosmetic packaging is jettisoned, contributing to the reported 4.8 to 12.7 million tons of plastic that enter the ocean annually, per the Natural History Museum. One of its culprits is beauty packaging, which is not typically accepted in most curbside recycling programs given its size and layers of unrecyclable materials. Per Pact Collective, a nonprofit collective uniting the beauty industry to reduce beauty packaging waste and work collaboratively toward more circular solutions for the industry, 120 billion cosmetic packages are created annually and a mere fraction will get recycled. Most are landfilled, incinerated or littered, eventually ending up in the ocean.

As sustainability continues to clean up consumer choices, beauty brands are helming the movement this Earth Day and every day with refillable options, arming shoppers with the necessary tools and education to make an impact and signing The Climate Pledge.

In the words of Bill Nye, aka The Science Guy, “To leave the world better than you found it, sometimes you have to pick up other people’s trash.”

Saie’s Climate Pledge

Saie Beauty Founder Laney Crowell says the brand is committed to fighting climate change. The brand is reportedly the first beauty brand to sign The Climate Pledge and launch its beauty charter committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2039, reducing plastic waste and pushing the industry toward a more sustainable future.

“As a lifelong lover of Mother Nature, I believe it is our duty to be responsible for the impact we at Sasie make on the planet,” said Crowell. “This unprecedented commitment is our way of taking action, because action is the only way to enact change. I know this is just the beginning, and I couldn’t be more excited to start this journey.”

In a partnership with rePurpose Global, a team of over 65 people dedicated to enabling the world’s transition to a more circular economy, Saie Beauty is among more than 2,300 people ethnically engaged in repurpose Global impact projects. By 2027, the brand says it’s dedicated to recovering and processing 5 million pounds of global plastic waste; achieve carbon net zero across all emission scopes by 2039; and invest in women leaders for climate action. This ambitious goal is taking place in India, Indonesia, Cameroon and Colombia.

To avert the worst-case impacts of climate change, the UN says global CO2 emissions must be reduced by almost half by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050. The UN also states that women are key drivers of sustainable purchasing and community-wide transformation.

The Saie Climate Initiative empowers 2,000 women with increased incomes, social security, health insurance and other initiatives for upward mobility. Per the Global Alliance of Waste Pickers, an estimated 4 out of 5 individuals displaced by the impacts of climate change are women and girls. With limited access to information, mobility and resources in extreme the case of natural disasters, women and children’s mortality rate is 14 times higher than that of men. In more affluent societies, women drive between 70-80% of all consumer purchasing decisions, leading the transition to more sustainable lifestyles. This information has propelled Saie Beauty to form an all-women board of cross-industry experts, with diverse perspectives and proven leadership to help the brand meet their ambitious goals.

Planet Aware at Sephora

In its largest prestige partnership with Sephora, Pact Collective, has collected over 68,800 pounds of beauty packaging material. That’s 1.37 million tubes of lipstick across all Sephora stores in North America. 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. To foster trust and transparency, Sephora launched the Planet Aware seal. This seal indicates the brands that 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, a reported 47 brands available in the US qualify to date.

Last year, from May 30-July 31, the retailer launched its Responsible Beauty Challenge, which engaged nearly 1 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.

A Field-to-Formula Beauty Experience with Bloomeffects

In 2019, personal care brand Bloomeffects was among the first to harness the regenerative and hydrating properties of the tulip to develop “clean,” safe and efficacious formulas prioritizing the health of people and planet. With a Dutch heritage in sustainable practices, the brand touts a “field-to-formula” beauty experience from tulip fields in Amsterdam.

Regarding resourceful formulas, the brand leverages its proprietary Dutch Tulip Complex by upcycling bruised tulip bulbs and discarded tulip “choppings” and transforming them into effective skincare ingredients clinically proven to deliver hydration and promote cell renewal.

The brand’s fourth-generation family farm in the Netherlands, HM van Hassteer, is the source of the brand’s proprietary complex. The family has been executing sustainable farming practices since 1905 via crop rotation and reducing water consumption by using underground irrigation via the canals.
Products are formulated sans fragrance, parabens, sulfates and phthalates, with bestsellers including its Royal Tulip Cleansing Jelly, Tulips Dew Cream and Tulip Dew Sunscreen Serum SPF 50.

Refillable Product Deals

Fine fragrance brand Fulton & Roark and hair care brand The Rootist are encouraging consumers to adopt sustainable practices (and save money!) by offering refillable products.

Fulton & Roark is offering refillable solid fragrance in 19 fragrances with travel-friendly solid metal containers that consumers can easily stash in a gym, pocket or carry-on for a reduced cost from $55 to $44. The brand’s refillable natural deodorant, available in 17 fragrances with a reduced price from $22 to $17.60, combine with mineral and plant-based extracts to fight odor-causing bacteria.

The Rootist Clarifying Dry Shampoo Powder Refill absorbs oil and sweat, leaving hair clean and soft, with a reduced price from $26 to $20.

Biossance is Rooted in Biotech Science

Biossance, a skincare brand rooted in biotech science, powered by plant-derived squalane and thoughtfully engineered products and packaging, says it designs high-end skincare that’s good for consumers and better for the planet.

Squalane + Marine Algae Eye Cream, $56, pairs the power of marine algae and paracress extract for maximum performance. The result is “incredible” lift with the appearance of fewer fine lines and wrinkles. The cream’s whipped texture melts in on contact to deliver deep hydration and leave behind a perfect canvas for makeup.

Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil, $74, is touted a trifecta of visible results-brightening, firming and hydration-with this luxuriously lightweight vitamin C oil. The brand’s oil-soluble, shelf-stable vitamin C is a potent brightener and elasticity booster. Chios crystal oil firms and revitalizes to give your skin a youthful bounce back, while squalane locks in moisture. Our damascus rose petal extract calms and soothes, leaving behind a soft, natural scent.

Squalane + Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum, $68, is a hydrating serum that instantly and visibly plumps skin with a complex of clinically-proven hydrators and collagen boosting copper peptides. Made with the brand’s innovative rapid plumping complex, the copper peptide plumping serum includes a synergistic blend of three clinically proven moisture-boosters: hyaluronic acid, polyglutamic acid and squalane. It draws in moisture and provides skin with continuous hydration, while copper peptide encourages collagen production so skin is bouncier and plump.

Every Man Jack Cuts Down on Plastic

For Earth Day 2025 and beyond, B-Corp certified and outdoor-inspired men’s grooming brand Every Man Jack is introducing new packaging that purportedly reduces 100,000 pounds of plastic use annually; and will plant over 45,000 trees over the past two years in collaboration with the National Forest Foundation.

The brand is set to release its 2024 Impact Report and Personal Time Outside (PTO) campaign to encourage everyone to use its PTO by stepping outside into the Great Outdoors. The new deodorant & antiperspirant and deodorant packaging reduces plastic waste by 55 tons annually and eliminates recycling contamination using new polypropylene mono-material, per the brand.

Cold Pressed Bar Soap utilizes FSC-certified paperboard to ensure that the 100% plastic-free products come from responsibly managed forests.

New Nature-Inspired Scents

New scents include Caribbean Coconut and Hawaiian Citrus. Below the Belt Deodorant Lotion contains natural ingredients like arrowroot and oat powders to absorb moisture. Also available in the collection is Below the Belt Gentle Cleanser and Anti-Chafing Gel.

The new Mountain Air Scent is inspired by the fresh breeze of a high-altitude summit and the earthy scent of pine-filled forests. Capturing an outdoor adventure, the new Mountain Air Scent is available in body wash and deodorant forms.

Every Man Jack is available on Amazon, Walmart, Target and EveryManJack.com.

P&G Continues Partnership with World Wildlife Fund

This Earth Day, P&G is celebrating 15 years partnering with World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Together, the entites have helped create and drive several key initiatives, including progress on biobased plastics, climate and energy solutions and responsible forestry to create a lasting legacy of solutions that will benefit P&G and our industry.

P&G seeks to reduce its environmental impact in its operations and supply chain. Its partnership with WWF has been key to achieving significant milestones.

In 2012, P&G joined WWF and seven other leading companies to launch the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance. The platform has been instrumental in advancing thought leadership on the responsible sourcing of bioplastics — and the role of bioplastic in circular systems — to drive positive change for the bioplastic industry at scale.

The Happi Top 50 Company’s support was crucial in establishing the Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA), which has facilitated low-cost, reliable, clean global electricity systems. Additionally, as a founding member of the Renewable Thermal Collaborative (RTC), our aim is to stimulate a market for clean thermal energy solutions, helping P&G make progress toward our clean energy ambitions.

P&G says it’s committed to responsible sourcing across its supply chain. WWF’s tools, like the Supply Risk Analysis (SRA) help evaluate sourcing risks for renewable materials, including crops like coconut oil, corn, sugarcane and cotton. This initiative promotes responsible sourcing practices.

In 2022, the company achieved its goal of sourcing 75% Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified wood pulp three years ahead of schedule. Today, 77% of P&G Corporate wood pulp is FSC certified while P&G Family Care reached 89%. P&G is also part of Forests Forward, a signature WWF program for corporate action in support of nature, climate and people that engages businesses to reduce their forest footprint and champion other on-the-ground actions — like forest restoration — to keep forests thriving. WWF is collaborating with brands like Tide and Ariel to promote simple, yet impactful changes in household routines, such as washing laundry in cold water.

P&G’s strategy focuses on actions that reduce water in operations, restore water in water-stressed areas and respond to water challenges through innovation and partnership. These efforts are enabled through partnerships with organizations like WWF. For over a decade, WWF has provided P&G with expert guidance and tools, like the Water Risk Filter, to support our water stewardship journey. In 2016, P&G worked closely with WWF and other partners to inform our comprehensive facility water risk assessment.

Estée Lauder Advances Sustainability

The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) focuses on sensitive ingredients by developing biodiversity and social action plans to mitigate risks and promote sustainable practices. To support these efforts, the Happi Top 50 Company consolidate spend with strategic suppliers to promote best practices in biodiversity preservation and social impact programs. Its 15-year partnership with the Kutkabubba Aboriginal Community (KAC) of Western Australia led to the creation of Dutjahn Sandalwood Oils, a 50% Aboriginal-owned venture. This collaboration promotes economic stability, preserves traditions, and includes tree replanting efforts.

The company also tailors solutions to the supply chain and local context. One example is TRASCE, a consortium of cosmetics industry companies enhancing traceability in key ingredients and packaging supply chains using a common digital platform. Additionally, the company encourages sharing information and best practices related to ingredient traceability and sourcing. This includes the Action for Sustainable Derivatives (ASD), an alliance of brands and suppliers addressing sourcing challenges in complex derivative supply chains by harmonizing approaches on transparency, risk monitoring and evaluation.

In terms of formulations, its Green Score program is central to its sustainability efforts. The proprietary methodology guides formulators in assessing and scoring raw materials and formulations. This program drives decision-making across our skin care, makeup and hair care portfolios, fostering sustainable ingredient innovation and supplier engagement.

In fiscal year 2024, ECL held green chemistry meetings in Shanghai, including at its China Innovation Labs, with our global and APAC scientific advisory boards. These discussions led to the publication of “Advancing Green Chemistry Performance: The Estée Lauder Companies’ Continuing Journey Towards Meaningful Transparency,” detailing the second iteration of our green chemistry tool for more accurate formulation guidance, in the peer-reviewed journal Green Chemistry.

In terms of packaging, over the past five years, ELC’s Packaging Sustainability Guidelines have guided its teams in creating high-quality, functional and luxurious packaging tailored to each brand. The company approaches this work through the “5 Rs”—recyclable, refillable, reusable, recycled or recoverable—helping it evaluate and improve packaging solutions across its portfolio.

ECL says its consumers are central to its end-to-end sustainability strategy. Its aim to make it easier for them to participate in its efforts through programs that promote responsible and ethical practices. In certain markets, the company offers ways for consumers to recycle, refill or return spent product packaging through in-store takeback programs. Several brands like Aveda, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Clinique, Deciem and MAC offer these programs, allowing consumers to engage with the circular economy.

On a global scale, in 2024, ELC partnered with BASF, RSPO and the NGO Solidaridad to work with smallholder Indonesian palm oil farmers. This initiative provided technical education and training for more than 1,000 farmers, with more than 300 receiving official RSPO certification, which helped them participate in a more sustainable palm oil market.

Since 2021, The Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation has supported Indigenous women through Conservation International’s Amazonia Indigenous Women’s Fellowship program. This work provides Indigenous women leaders with training and investment to implement initiatives that strengthen their communities and conserve high-carbon forests across the Amazon.