The beauty industry has a plastic problem. Sustainably packaged products do exist – where to find some
- Plastic bottles, plastic dispensers, tubes you squeeze – almost everything the personal care industry sells is packaged in plastic
- Achieving a zero-waste economy will be difficult, but some companies have found ways to deliver their products in a more sustainable way, and they’re growing
Wellness advocate Cristina McLauchlan aims to achieve sustainability in all aspects of her life, but she has seen enough of the world to understand that a waste-free society is highly improbable.
“Zero waste does not exist … as much as we want to believe we can achieve zero waste, our system is not set up for that and we need to reframe how we think about it,” she says.
McLauchlan has more than 20 years’ experience in the hospitality and events industries, which has exposed her to the vast carbon footprint they can leave on the planet.
“The air conditioning, the laundry service, the food waste, the tiny little plastic containers in every single hotel room … we just have so much unnecessary overconsumption,” the Hong Kong-based New Zealander says.
To counter this, McLauchlan is spreading the word about sustainability in her role as a consultant – she works as sustainability consultant to hospitality group Marriott International – and through public speaking engagements.
She also started “The Vibe Tribe”, an online platform for like-minded professionals to share ideas on sustainable changes businesses and individuals can make.