Consumer goods industries say they are stepping up to address one of the most pressing issues of our time: plastic waste. Is it working?
It has been nearly a decade since sportswear giant Adidas first partnered with the organization Parley for the Oceans to bring upcycled ocean-bound plastic into its footwear and apparel. This year is the deadline Adidas set to remove all virgin polyester from its collections as part of a broader strategy to end plastic waste and reduce its environmental footprint. It has initiated the Futurecraft Loop Initiative, which is focused on creating fully recyclable running shoes. Materials including Primeblue, which is made from ocean-bound plastic, and Primegreen, which excludes virgin plastic, have become core focuses for the brand in recent years.
“Taking plastic waste out of the system is the first step, but we can’t stop there,” Eric Liedtke, former Executive Board Member at Adidas, responsible for Global Brands, said in 2019. (Liedtke is now the head of his own plastic-free label, the Under Armour-acquired Unless.) “What happens to your shoes after you’ve worn them out? You throw them away — except there is no away. There are only landfills and incinerators and ultimately an atmosphere choked with excess carbon, or oceans filled with plastic waste. The next step is to end the concept of ‘waste’ entirely. Our dream is that you can keep wearing the same shoes over and over again.”
Stella McCartney, known for her commitment to sustainability, has championed a similar shift via sustainable leather alternatives made from materials including upcycled agricultural waste and mycelium, the underground root structure of mushrooms.
Today, the fashion industry is responsible for 20 percent of the world’s wastewater and ten percent of global carbon emissions. Shifting to a circular economy could capture billions of dollars of value, reduce pressure on resources, and support the regeneration of critical ecosystems.
Fast fashion retailers, often criticized for their environmental impact, are also making strides. H&M has pledged to use 100 percent recycled or sustainably sourced materials by 2030 and has implemented a garment collection program in stores worldwide. Zara’s parent company, Inditex, aims to eliminate single-use plastics for customers and use 100 percent sustainable or recycled polyester and nylon by 2025.
Similar efforts are underway in the home goods sector. From furniture giants to small, eco-conscious startups, companies are finding innovative ways to create plastic-free or recycled plastic products for our living spaces.
Take Ikea, the world’s largest furniture retailer, committed to phasing out single-use plastic products from its stores and restaurants by 2020, and aims to use only renewable or recycled materials in its products by 2030. The company has also launched products s made from recycled PET bottles, turning waste into functional home decor.
“Our ambition is to become people and planet-positive by 2030 while growing the Ikea business. Through our size and reach, we have the opportunity to inspire and enable more than 1 billion people to live a better everyday life within the boundaries of the planet,” Lena Pripp-Kovac, Chief Sustainability Officer at Inter Ikea Group said last year.
Smaller companies are also making waves. Ecovative Design has developed MycoComposite, a biodegradable packaging material made from hemp hurds and mycelium. This innovative product is being used to replace plastic foam in packaging and even in home goods like lamps and side tables.
In the kitchen, companies like Stasher are revolutionizing food storage with their reusable silicone bags, offering a durable and dishwasher-safe alternative to single-use plastic bags. Meanwhile, Blueland is tackling household cleaners with its innovative tablet-and-reusable-bottle system, significantly reducing plastic waste from cleaning product containers. One of the biggest trends in eco home cleaning products is the shift to dissolvable sheets that can replace laundry detergent and even toilet bowl cleaners, eliminating plastic bottles.
The beauty industry, notorious for its excessive packaging, is also undergoing a significant transformation. Platforms like Novi Connect are helping manufacturers source cleaner ingredients and more sustainable packaging. “Our B2B marketplace enables brands to design and purchase verified formulas, fragrances, and packaging — all with the purchasing power of a large CPG,” Novi Connect founder Kimberly Shenk told Ethos. Shenk says this allows brands to guarantee their finished products “align with their values and are better for people and the planet.”
And the need for alternatives has never been higher. Jo Chidley, founder of Beauty Kitchen, says the beauty industry creates 120 billion units of packaging every year. “Most of it is not recyclable,” she says. “The only way to solve this problem is to create a circular economy where packaging is reused and refilled.”
Brands are rethinking everything from product formulations to packaging to reduce their plastic footprint. L’Oréal, the world’s largest cosmetics company, has committed to making 100% of its plastic packaging refillable, reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025. The company has also partnered with Albéa to create the industry’s first carton-based cosmetic tube, where a bio-based and certified paper-like material largely replaces plastic. Refillable programs like Mugler and Hermès, are redefining luxury while smaller brands like Ethique, a New Zealand-based company, and New York’s Meow Meow Tweet, offer a full range of beauty products that come in compostable or recyclable packaging.
But while progress is being made, challenges remain. The durability and versatility of plastic make it difficult to replace in many applications. Additionally, the infrastructure for recycling and processing alternative materials is still developing. The transition to a circular economy for plastics is not just about recycling, says Rob Opsomer, Lead of Systemic Initiatives at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. “It’s about fundamentally rethinking the way we design, use, and reuse plastics. This requires collaboration across the entire value chain.”
Despite these challenges, the future looks promising. Innovations in materials science are producing viable alternatives to plastic. Bioplastics made from algae, mushrooms, and even food waste are being developed and refined. Meanwhile, advanced recycling technologies are making it possible to recycle plastics that were previously considered unrecyclable.
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