Yannick Raynaud, L’Oreal Philippines’ Managing Director, highlights the Groupe’s fight against plastic pollution together with Nanette Medved-Po, Found of PCX, Official Producer Responsibility Organization at CNN Philippines The Final Word by Rico Hizon.
Earlier this year, L‘Oréal Groupe, together with PCX, a registered producer responsibility organization (PRO), shared its commitment to recover, sort and recycle plastic equivalent to 100% of its yearly plastic footprint volume starting in 2023. Going beyond the 20% recovery target mandated by the local government this year. In line with its sustainability commitments under the L‘Oréal for the Future program, L‘Oréal Groupe fully supports the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022 regulated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the Philippines.
ABOUT THE EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY (EPR) ACT
The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act (RA No. 11898) that passed into law in July 2022 is a practical approach on efficient waste management, waste reduction and development of environment-friendly packaging to promote sustainable consumption and principles of a circular economy, while incorporating the responsibility of the producer throughout the products lifecycle. Through this policy, obliged enterprises (OE) are responsible for proper and effective disposal of their product’s packaging in the post-consumer stage by utilizing biodegradable materials or improving the recyclability and reusability of waste.
Participating OEs in the Philippines are required to establish a comprehensive EPR program, which should include suitable and effective recovery, treatment, recycling or disposal methods. The recovery targets set by DENR start at 20% for 2023, 40% for 2024 and increase by 10% each year until 80% in 2028. Through its partnership with PCX, L’Oréal Group is accelerating its commitment towards a sustainable business model pledging 100% recovery or 5X the mandated targets by the DENR and 5 years ahead of industry-wide deadline.
PRIVATE SECTOR AS CATALYST FOR CHANGE
As plastic pollution in the Philippines continues to be a major problem and with the implementation of EPR Bill, we acknowledge that companies play a pivotal role in the fight against plastic waste.
L’Oréal’s commitment to recover and manage 100% of its plastic footprint volume in the Philippines is part of the L’Oréal for the Future, program, the Group’s sustainable development strategy for 2030, set in accordance with the science-based targets initiative. L’Oréal for the Future is built on three main pillars, namely transforming the Group’s activities to respect planetary boundaries, empowering its business ecosystems to transition to a more sustainable business, as well as contributing to solving urgent social and environmental challenges that the world is facing.
“We are not cutting corners and are making sure that we are doing the right thing in the waste management process. Our waste management approach is focused on reusing/ upcycling and recycling, which are at the top of the waste management hierarchy endorsed by the UN. While these options may at times be more difficult and costly to fulfill, we will always choose more favorable options for the environment” said Yannick Raynaud, Managing Director of L’Oréal Philippines.
L’OREAL DRIVING FURTHER LOCAL ACTIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES
In the Philippines, L’Oréal was the first beauty company to roll out the Green Parcel Program in 2020, reducing plastic use in its fulfilment process. Fast forward today, all L‘Oréal brands (L‘Oréal Paris, Garnier, Maybelline, Kiehl’s, Kerastase, L‘Oréal Professionnel)) ordered from e-commerce platforms like Lazada, Shoppe and Tiktok Shop come in a plastic-free wrap and packaging, using FSC-certified paper box, honeycomb wrap, and paper tape. Since the implementation of the Green Parcel Program in 2020, L‘Oréal has saved more than 25 metric tons of plastics and counting.
On top of that, 100% of L‘Oréal’s merchandising materials at point-of-sale are also built with eco-design principles starting from conception, production, transportation, to end-of-life management.
- During the conception stage, L’Oréal optimizes weight of the materials used, uses only Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or PEFC certified papers, cardboards and wood, and ensures that materials have renewable or recyclable components.
- During production, sustainable printing process is prioritized, and lamination on cardboard is prohibited.
- During transportation, shipment is optimized via flat pack and stackable units when possible.
- At the end of life, multi-material POS that are separable are disassembled and sorted per type and are recycled accordingly.
“L‘Oréal has made a bold commitment that they are not doing what’s easy, they’re doing what’s hard because they believe it’s right. Their commitment to not just recovering but also recycling and upcycling makes them a unique story of inspiration in the Philippines” said Nanette Medved-Po, Founder of PCX
Watch the full interview here: Winning the battle against plastic pollution | The Final Word