The circular economy seeks to end waste and pollution while keeping the products and materials we use in play for as long as possible. Three major consumer goods companies have taken strides in that direction, executives said at a Fortune conference on Tuesday.
Nicole Cerroni, vice president of sustainability at L’Oréal USA, highlighted the cosmetics giant’s new product impact labelling system. L’Oréal will be asking people to interact with its offerings in new ways, whether that means refilling a bottle or using shampoo in a bar format, Cerroni explained at the Fortune Impact Initiative in Atlanta. To help them prepare, the system ranks products from A to E, based on 14 factors such as carbon emissions, ocean acidification, and biodiversity, she said. “It’s an approach to provide consumers with transparent and science-based information on the environmental impact of the products from L’Oreal.”
