Announced today at the Sustainable Brands conference in Detroit, L’Oréal USA has received a silver Cradle to Cradle certification for its Biolage R.A.W. Nourish Shampoo and Conditioner.
A continuation of the “Sharing Beauty With All” initiative, which is L’Oréal’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact, the beauty company has sought out Cradle to Cradle, a third-party nonprofit certification program founded by MBDC. MBDC, which stands for McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, was created by architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart in 1995.
“Through L’Oréal’s commitment to innovation and sustainability, we have been able to create a product line that truly combines our commitment to high-performance hair care and environmental stewardship,” said Jonathan Maher, vice president of corporate social responsibility and sustainability at L’Oréal USA.
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The Cradle to Cradle certification process includes five factors for evaluation: material health, material reutilization, carbon management, social fairness and water stewardship. The program screens products against 25 human and environmental criteria to evaluate these factors and to create a roadmap on how to improve in each area if needed.
“What’s really interesting about the certification is this idea of continuous improvement and the fact that it’s a journey,” said Jay Bolus, president of certification services at MBDC. “Cradle to Cradle signals to the world that we are really interested in making our products better over time.”
Once evaluated, each factor gets a certification: basic, bronze, silver, gold or platinum. The overall score of the product is the lowest achieved certification.
To help improve certifications, Cradle to Cradle offers guidance on each factor, like how to reduce waste water treatment and how to use more renewable energy sources.
“I think consumers are becoming wary of manufacturers making their own claims and tooting their own horns in terms of sustainability,” Bolus continued. “L’Oréal USA is such a visible brand, so to have something like MBDC and Cradle to Cradle certification behind them makes their statements much more believable and robust.”
The program is currently evaluating the rest of the Biolage R.A.W. collection for certification and is also working with Kiehl’s to secure certification for later this year.