Manila, Philippines – L'Oreal and Watsons Recently, they announced the launch of their first green co-venture initiative in the Philippines to accelerate sustainability in the beauty and wellness sector. L'Oréal and Watsons are working together to reduce plastic waste, raise awareness about sustainable choices, and create programs that provide livelihood opportunities for vulnerable people in the Philippines.
“This first green joint venture in the Philippines marks a historic milestone in L'Oreal and Watsons' long-standing partnership in the Philippines. We are incredibly proud that together we are being a catalyst for change by going beyond responsible business practices, acting with urgency and contributing to solving the Philippines' most pressing environmental and social issues. It's the right thing to do,” Watsons said. Yannick Reynaud, Country Managing Director of L'Oreal Philippines.
Danilo Chong, Managing Director of Watsons Philippines“At Watsons, we have updated our brand promise from 'Look Great' to 'Look Great, Do Great, Feel Great' to demonstrate our strong commitment to more sustainable practices. This first-of-its-kind green collaboration is a holistic approach to making a total impact on the planet, people and products. We are inspired by our work with L'Oreal and the positive impact we can drive in the Philippines, and hope programs like this will inspire other companies to do the right thing for the environment.”
Plastic pollution is a major challenge in the Philippines. In 2022, the Philippine government implemented the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) 1 bill on the collection and management of post-consumer recycled plastics. In 2023, L'Oréal will collect, upcycle and recycle 100% of its plastic in the Philippines, exceeding the 20% target set by the government in the first year of implementation.
Under the Green Joint Business Plan, L'Oréal, through its sustainability program “L'Oréal for the Future”, and Watsons, through its brand promise of “Look Good, Act Good, Feel Good”, are accelerating their joint transformation towards business models that respect the planet's limits, strengthen their business ecosystems and reinforce their commitment to driving inclusive growth.
The joint collaboration programme includes:
- Garnier, a L'Oreal Group brand, is spearheading the Recycle for Rewards program, which allows consumers to donate empty health and beauty bottles at select Watsons stores and receive discounts. The initiative will be launched in June 2024 at 23 Watsons stores in Metro Manila.
- To help consumers make sustainable choices, L'Oreal is expanding the list of products in Watsons' “Sustainable Choice” category that are refillable, made from recycled materials or sustainable paper, and contain ingredients that are bio-based, abundant or from circular processes. One example is Garnier Micellar Water, which is made from 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) PET plastic (R-PET). The cartons used in L'Oreal packaging are made from FSC-certified paper.
- All POSM (Point of Sale) materials that L'Oreal uses in Watsons stores are 100% eco-designed. They follow the 3R strategy of reducing the weight of products and packaging by designing them with smaller dimensions and lighter materials wherever possible. In addition, L'Oreal aims to replace traditional materials with alternatives that have a smaller environmental footprint and are suitable for reuse and recycling.
- Watsons also supports L'Oreal's Digital Beauty Academy, a social inclusion programme that provides training in beauty, wellness and social commerce with the goal of equipping individuals with valuable skills to succeed and earn a living in the digital space.
- L'Oréal will support Watsons' Allergan Pancalsugan medical and wellness program, which aims to improve the overall health of vulnerable communities and is set to expand to Metro Manila, Palawan, Bacolod, Iloilo and Pampanga this year.
- L'Oreal is upskilling its brand ambassadors and Watsons staff on sustainability and conscious consumption with the help of 'L'Oreal for the Future' e-learning modules.
As part of its L'Oréal for the Future commitment, L'Oréal plans to ensure that 100% of the plastics used in its packaging will be recycled or bio-based by 2030. L'Oréal is also committed to ensuring that 95% of its product ingredients come from bio-based sources, abundant minerals or circular processes by 2030.
