Environmental Packaging

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. realize that after our product is used, our packaging still remains. Our Environmental Packaging goal is to find ways to minimize the environmental impact of our packaging and make it available to be re-used as a resource after our product has been consumed.

The environmental packaging program has two main components.

Compliance - Ensure compliance with applicable regulations on a global basis, such as the European Union’s Essential Requirements for Packaging (source reduction, heavy metals and noxious substances, and recoverability requirements)

Product Stewardship – Create packaging that is beneficial, safe and healthy for individuals and communities throughout its life. Drive the use of renewable energy, post consumer recycled content, and design packaging that can be captured as a resource at the end of its useful life.

Compliance

The Company created an Environmental Packaging Design Protocol during 2001. This protocol requires developers to ensure that all new packaging fulfills applicable environmental criteria in each country where it will be sold. In particular, the protocol focuses on meeting the European Union’s Essential Requirements for Packaging (source reduction, heavy metals and noxious substances, and recoverability requirements).

Environmental Packaging Highlights

  • The Company requires all of its packaging suppliers certify (and test) packaging materials to limit the use of heavy metals and other noxious substances.
  • It is The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. policy that PVC shall not be used in product packaging when it is feasible to use other materials.
  • The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. does not utilize any material derived from “Old Growth Forests.” It is our policy that all wood fiber must be sourced from either recycled paper or fiber products, or managed sustained yield forests.
  • The Company maintains a “Global Environmental Packaging Reference Guide” which provides updated environmental requirements worldwide. It allows packaging developers to consider the life cycle of the product they are developing including an analysis of the raw materials used, to ensure that they are not hazardous and that minimal waste will result from their use.

Product Stewardship

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. believes that our packaging must be beneficial, safe and healthy for individuals and communities throughout its life. Our environmental goal is to design our packaging so that it:

  • Meets marketing criteria for performance and cost
  • Is sourced, manufactured, transported and recycled using renewable energy
  • Maximizes the use of renewable and recycled source materials
  • Is manufactured using clean production technologies and best practices
  • Is made from materials healthy in all probable life cycle scenarios
  • Is physically designed to optimize materials and energy
  • Can be effectively recovered for re-use as a resource after our product has been consumed

Estée Lauder is a founding member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and has taken a leadership position in driving its initiatives. We have, therefore, thought it appropriate to use the SPC definition of sustainable packaging a model for our goal statement.

Using this model as a road map, Estée Lauder Package Development will drive environmental initiatives to reach our stated goal.

Some notable accomplishments in this area are:

  • Six of Estée Lauder suppliers have committed to using renewable energy for their manufacture of our parts.
  • The manufacturer of Aveda’s folding cartons runs their plant with 100% wind power.
  • Origins has also made a commitment to purchase folding cartons only from manufacturers using renewable energy.
  • Standardizing the post consumer recycled content of our shippers to 90% and of our carriers to 80%.
  • Setting a standard for our holiday and promotional set up box medium board at 80% post consumer recycled content.
  • In FY 2007 the Aveda brand moved to 96% PCR plastic in the launch of their new men’s line bottle.
  • Aveda brand uses 35% PCR plastic in its tubes, which have removable closures for recycling.
  • Estée Lauder brand is using 100% PCR plastic content in its promotional bottles.
  • Estée Lauder Companies use 80% recycled content in all of their matte and satin anodized aluminum parts.
  • Clinique brand uses 80% recycled aluminum in their skincare jar caps
  • Aveda uses FSC certified wood for their wood makeup pencils.
  • Clinique has reduced the size of their promotional cartons by 15%.
  • Donna Karan Gold launches with a unique package allowing the component parts to be separated for recycling.
  • Origins has initiated a consumer communication on their folding cartons to inform their customer about the board content, use of renewable energy and to ask them to “please recycle where available”.

Packaging records are maintained within the Company's computer system. This packaging database allows assessment of various environmental indicators on a periodic basis for reporting on compliance and prioritizing packaging systems for review. Data includes used or recycled content material, environmental labeling and packaging-to-product ratio.



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