Entering the bathroom, shampoo, face wash, body wash, conditioner, and skincare products are lined up in disposable plastic bottles and cans. With the growing trend toward reducing plastic, many people are opting for "naked" plastic-free products. British bath and body brand LUSH states that 66% of its products, including shampoo, body soap, and bath bombs, are now packaging-free. Other bottles and cans used for lotions and facial masks are made from 100% recycled materials.
LUSH launches "66% of its products are sold raw" and its bottles and cans are made from 100% recycled materials.
Shampoo and shower gel use plastic, and in recent years, shampoo cakes and shower soaps have become popular in Taiwan. LUSH, a British brand specializing in solid soaps, has been expanding its presence in Taiwan in recent years, and held a press conference for the opening of its Ximen store yesterday (the 11th).
LUSH Greater China General Manager Kang Ruicheng stated that the Pacific Garbage Patch is now 38 times the size of Taiwan. "Recycling bottles and cans is no longer enough; we need to reduce plastic waste at the source." Currently, 66% of the company's products are sold without any packaging. Using the number of LUSH unpackaged soaps sold in January 2023, this translates to saving the planet 18,975 200ml plastic bottles.
When you walk into a LUSH store, you can still see many bottles of facial masks, skin care lotions, perfumes and other products. These bottles and cans are made of 100% recycled materials. "Liquid things still have to be in bottles," said Kang Ruicheng.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released operational guidelines in November 2022, requiring businesses to increase the percentage of recycled plastic in non-food bottles and cans annually, reaching 25% and 30% by 2025 and 2030, respectively. In the past, businesses have complained that achieving this goal was difficult. Kang Ruicheng explained that LUSH achieved 100% recycled plastic for its bottles and cans 15 years ago, and that "finding recycled material sources is really not that difficult." Kang Ruicheng noted that the cosmetics and skincare industry often uses sophisticated packaging to increase prices, "but the content remains unchanged." He recommended that the public focus on ingredients and expressed hope that the industry would join in reducing packaging.
LUSH's packaging is made entirely of recycled materials: cushioning materials can also be thrown into kitchen waste.
In addition to bottles and cans being made from fully recycled pellets, LUSH Senior Advocacy Director Shi Zhirong explained that in-store gift boxes and online shopping cartons are also made from 100% recycled paper pulp or banana fiber. The store also sells reusable wraps, also made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. Because shampoo pouches are prone to breaking when placed in boxes, the gift boxes contain "eco-flo," a white, cornstarch-based cushioning material. LUSH claims it can be disposed of directly in food waste or soil and will naturally decompose.
Kang Ruicheng admits that due to regulatory constraints, some environmental ideals achieved overseas are difficult to achieve in Taiwan. For example, the large bath tiles and large basins of face masks commonly found in stores are readily available in Europe, where consumers can simply bring their own containers for repackaging. However, Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration has stricter regulations, requiring bath soaps sold in stores to be pre-cut and labeled at the factory. Empty bottles cannot be refilled; they must be recycled and made into new bottles and cans.
In recent years, the "poo-free" trend (short for washing hair without shampoo) has spread across Taiwan, with some advocating for a simple wash with water instead of shampoo. Kang Ruicheng notes that frequent shampooing can indeed damage the scalp and increase resource consumption, but everyone's physique and hair quality are different. People can carefully consider the ingredients and dosage to strike a balance between environmental friendliness and personal hygiene.
Source: Environmental Information Center (https://e-info.org.tw/node/236737)
