Sephora doubles down on sustainability efforts
Beauty retailer Sephora is continuing its efforts to encourage the beauty industry to make more responsible choices when it comes to sustainability, specifically pushing consumers to reduce their environmental impact.
To learn more about the steps Sephora is taking in these efforts, Inside Beauty spoke to Carley Klekas, director, global product sustainability at Sephora, about several initiatives, including the Beauty (Re)Purposed program.
Originally launched in 2023 via a partnership with Pact Collective, the program tackles packaging waste and calls on consumers to make eco-conscious choices when it comes to their beauty essentials.
“As most beauty packaging ends up in landfills due to its small size or being constructed of too many materials for traditional curbside recycling programs, our goal is to give beauty packaging a second life by allowing customers to bring in their empty beauty products—regardless of where it was purchased – to divert it from landfills,” said Klekas. “Instead of being thrown away, beauty empties could become carpet, pallets, asphalt, new packaging, energy and more. So far, we’ve collected more than 68,800 pounds of packaging, or about 1.37 million lipstick tubes!”
[Related: Beauty brands on the search for deeper purpose]
Aside from collecting packaging, Sephora also offers consumers refill options across an array of categories including skin care, makeup, hair care and fragrance as a way to minimize environmental impact.
“We have thus been focused on growing our assortment of refillable products. In just the past year, we went from having about 45 brands who offered refills to now more than 70, including seven of the top ten skincare brands,” said Klekas. “We’re often analyzing our assortment to find where it may make sense to recommend a brand look into adding a refill option for a product and work closely with those brand partners on how they can best educate shoppers on refill offerings. This could include easy-to-follow visual guides on how to use specific refill packaging or information on the reduced amount of plastic being used by purchasing a refill versus a fully packaged version.”
Another option the beauty retailer offers consumers is its Auto-Replenish option, which gives the additional benefit of saving 5% on the purchase price of a refill.
There is also the Planet Aware seal, which highlights its commitment to fostering trust and transparency with the beauty community to help consumers make informed purchases by showcasing products and brands that meet a set of sustainability standards.
“To earn the Planet Aware at Sephora seal, brands must meet at least 32 mandatory criteria across four key sustainability pillars: ingredient sourcing, sustainable packaging, corporate environmental commitments, and consumer transparency,” shared Klekas. “It's a comprehensive process, but it’s vital for ensuring that the brands we work with are truly walking the walk when it comes to sustainability.”
[Related: e.l.f. Beauty calls on consumers, companies to make positive impacts]
Another call that Sephora is putting out to consumers is its Try It All 2025 challenge, which is available to Beauty Insider members until May 28, and is an effort focused on engaging consumers in sustainability in a fun and approachable manner.
“Coming off of the success of last year’s “Responsible Beauty Challenge” that engaged almost 1 million Beauty Insiders, this new challenge encourages participants to take actions—like skipping a bag with their in-store purchases—and rewards them with Beauty Insider points once completed,” said Klekas. “By gamifying the process, we create a sense of accomplishment while reinforcing positive behavior changes. Plus, it helps our community connect with our broader sustainability efforts, aligning with their evolving expectations and making sustainability feel accessible.”
Over the past year, the beauty retailer has been focused on webinars, helpful guides and resources for its brand community to help raise the bar on more sustainable products.
“We’re glad to share our North American footprint runs on 100% renewable energy. Sephora has been using renewable energy credits to cover our electricity usage across the US since 2019, but starting in 2023, we added Canada to the mix, ensuring that Sephora has its entire continental footprint covered with renewable energy,” shared Klekas.
Overall, the beauty retailer is focused on pushing the industry forward in creating a baseline education on sustainability principles for all.
