EXCLUSIVE: Sephora touts cosmetics sustainability success
As Earth Month draws to a close, Sephora is reporting progress in its efforts to reduce waste associated with beauty products.
In an email to Chain Store Age, the beauty giant, a subsidiary of global retail conglomerate LVMH, said it 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 as part of its Beauty (Re)Purposed empties take back program.
[READ MORE: Sephora expands cosmetics sustainability program]
The retailer is running Beauty (Re)Purposed in partnership with packaging waste solution provider Pact, a non-profit beauty collective founded by cosmetic brand MOB Beauty and clean beauty retailer Credo that now has more than 150 members from the beauty and wellness industries.
In addition, Sephora says its assortment of refillable beauty items initially released in April 2024 has grown to 70 brands, including seven of the top 10 skincare brands. According to Sephora refillable skincare SKUs have grown by 11% in the past year, while fragrance saw 12 new refill SKUs added.
Sephora is also reporting success with its “Planet Aware” seal. Introduced in April 2024, the 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. Currently, 47 brands available in the U.S. qualify.
In 2025, Sephora is building on its "Responsible Beauty Challenge," which gamified cosmetics sustainability. When the retailer debuted the challenge in 2024 almost 1 million customers participated and were encouraged to engage in various conscious shopping choices.
This year, the Sephora Beauty Insider Challenge "Try It All 2025" will engage and incentivize members of the retailer’s Beauty Insider loyalty program to take sustainable actions and receive rewards.
"At Sephora, sustainability is more than a commitment—it’s a responsibility we embrace every day," Carley Klekas, director, global product sustainability at Sephora, said in emailed commentary. "From pioneering programs like Beauty (Re)Purposed - in partnership with Pact Collective - to help close the loop on beauty packaging waste, to expanding our assortment of refillable products and launching impactful initiatives such as the 'Planet Aware at Sephora' seal, we’re constantly evolving to provide consumers with the most relevant offering for a wide range of needs and preferences.
"Whether you’re a retailer, brand, manufacturer, or a consultant, everyone has a role to play in doing better for our planet and a lasting impact can only occur if we work together," Klekas concluded.
