When Briogeo entered the competitive hair care market in 2013, it debuted with eco-chic bottles made from at least 25 percent post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic. Now, the high-performance brand, which has developed a cult following, is taking its commitment to sustainability a step further with several initiatives aimed at reducing its impact on the planet.

“We’re part of an industry that produces a staggering amount of plastic waste. Some sources cite that the industry produces up to 120 billion units of plastic a year, and a high percentage of these units ultimately end up in landfills and oceans,” said Nancy Twine, Founder, Briogeo. “Sustainability was always part of my brand mission, and while being conscious about it is not new for us, this is the first time we’re creating a structured strategy and education plan on the topic.”

Many of the strategies have quietly gone into effect already. Plastic trays have been removed from Briogeo’s hair kits, a vast majority of its outer packaging is now certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and a plan is in the works to increase the percentage of recycled materials used. All of Briogeo’s bottles, tubes, jars and caps are 100 percent recyclable, but the ultimate responsibility of making sure these items end up being recycled falls on the user and the capability of most local recycling systems. To that end, Briogeo is helping consumers recycle through education and by working with Terracycle. Additionally, the brand is adding programs that allow consumers to offset their carbon footprint through their purchases.

“We will make our community more broadly aware of our eco-friendly initiatives through our website and social channels. We are focused on consistently educating within our internal and external community, so that everyone can be ambassadors of this topic,” said Nancy. “Beyond our products, we do offer our clients several ways to make additional steps toward sustainability. Our site will feature a recycle guide and the ability to send any hard-to-recycle packaging parts back to us to ensure they’re properly repurposed, instead of ending up in a landfill or the ocean. Additionally, checking out with Briogeo.com will give consumers two eco-friendly options. Every purchase made through Shop Pay contributes to tree planting at no additional cost. If our consumers choose to go one step further, they can offset the carbon from their delivery with Cloverly (coming later this month), for less than $1 per purchase.”

Known for its natural formulations, the brand is selective about ingredients, specifically keeping in mind the long-term health of people and the planet. Hence, formulas are free of elements such as silicones and micro-plastics, that are not biodegradable, as well as ingredients that can wreak havoc on the environment, such as palm oil. The brand is also now fully vegan, Leaping Bunny certified and cruelty free.

“At a very foundational level, we believe we are encouraging people to be more sustainable by simply offering clean, natural and sustainable products that are effective and desirable — ultimately, by purchasing our products, they can decide to be sustainable while getting a great hair care experience,” said Nancy.

Noting that ingredient selection and recycling are just a couple of markers of sustainability, Briogeo has also disavowed unsustainable product supply chains.

“We believe in the importance of fair trade and feel that it is our responsibility to reach beyond what’s in our immediate control to hold our partners and suppliers to the same standard. We are extremely diligent in ensuring that fair trade and modern slavery standards and certifications are legitimized through signed documentation,” said Nancy. “We are grateful that some of our manufacturers have been rather progressive around fair trade. For example, for our B. Well franchise, we partner with one of the only distributors of castor oil who is Certified Fair for Life, which assures that human rights are safeguarded at every stage of production and that workers have good and fair working conditions. They also invest a larger share of their profits back into their smallholder farmers, empowering them through fair share payment and social community project sponsorship.”

Sustainability is at the forefront of consumers’ minds. Scalefast, a digital commerce solution company, recently released its “Beauty Digital Hype Report: Shoppers and Sustainability” study, revealing that 61 percent of beauty and wellness consumers base their purchasing decision on if a brand cares about sustainability efforts, ranking it somewhat to very important. Additionally, 84 percent of respondents would like to see beauty/wellness brands and retailers taking action towards sustainability challenges over the next five years, indicating the eco-wakening among consumers is here to stay.

“We’ve taken cues from some of our incredible peers in the industry who have done a lot to create awareness and education around the topic of sustainability,” said Nancy. “At the end of the day, we truly are all in this together when it comes to preserving our planet.”

Briogeo is a finalist for the Indie Brand category in this year’s CEW Beauty Creators Awards. It’s Don’t Despair, Repair! Strengthening Treatment Oil is a finalist in the Hair Style/Hair Care category. To see the full list of 2021 finalists, click here to visit the Product Finalists page.