Dubbed SPICE Tool, the solution aims to solve one of the key sustainability challenges facing the beauty industry: embedding ecodesign into the packaging development process.
A publicly available online tool
After having developed a methodology for measuring the environmental footprint of cosmetic packaging, SPICE has translated it into an online tool, open to all the companies in the sector, thus allowing them to measure and reduce the environmental footprint of any cosmetic packaging throughout its entire life cycle.
The platform features a free Demo version and a Pro version, available by licence. The solution calculates a holistic environmental footprint of packaging, covering 16 environmental indicators that assess impacts on climate change as well as resource depletion, water use, biodiversity and more, across the full lifecycle of a product’s packaging (from production to end-of-life).
The tool thus facilitates the choice between the different material options, the amount of recycled material, the different types of refills ...
"The previously existing multi-criteria Life Cycle Analysis tools made it possible to measure the environmental impact of a packaging, but a choice had to be made, for example, between lowering CO2 emissions or water consumption. SPICE makes it possible, for the first time, to determine the most favourable solution by weighing all of the environmental criteria,” explains the French Beauty Federation (FEBEA), which participated in the development of the tool as a member of SPICE.
SPICE Tool is science-based and illustrated by empirical case studies. It is consistent with major international standards, including the European PEF method, ISO quality standards and the recommendations of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
Best practices
Along with the Tool, SPICE also released a set of best practice materials, including environmental claims guidelines that establish minimum requirements and strong recommendations for providing credible packaging sustainability information to consumers and other audiences.
The SPICE Tool calculates a holistic environmental footprint of packaging, covering 16 environmental indicators.
“The cost of developing a robust environmental footprinting tool has been a barrier for many small and medium-sized cosmetics companies that want to implement ecodesign in packaging development. By making the SPICE Tool publicly available, the SPICE Initiative helps the whole industry move forward, getting everyone on board to design the future of sustainable packaging,” noted Patrick O’Quin, President of FEBEA.
Co-founded in 2018 by L’Oréal and sustainability consulting firm Quantis, SPICE is an industry-led organisation now includes 25 members working together to develop solutions that will accelerate progress toward sustainable packaging for cosmetics.
