A strategic and social analytics model for sustainable packaging in the cosmetic industry

Abstract

Every day, we use cosmetic products that are not only focused on beauty but also with everything related to personal care and hygiene. The impact that these products have on sustainability cannot be overlooked. Many cosmetics contain unsustainable ingredients that can cause environmental damage and loss of biodiversity. In addition, fossil-based packaging contributes greatly to environmental pollution and increases waste in the absence of a circular supply chain. This work has a dual objective. The first is to provide a strategic analysis based on a multi-criteria approach to evaluate the most sustainable alternatives to traditional packaging that manufacturers could adopt based on the opinions of experts from different categories of stakeholders. In this study, the multi-criteria approach was employed, as it has been widely recognized in the literature for its effectiveness in evaluating and comparing alternatives across multiple, often conflicting criteria. The second is to provide a social analysis to assess consumers’ views, habits, preferences, and willingness to pay toward sustainable packaging. The results show divergence among experts who prefer refillable packaging while consumers prefer recyclable packaging. In contrast, a convergence in selling price and production costs is verified, highlighting the strategic importance of the economic dimension is for sustainable packaging, and the willingness to pay for sustainable packaging is about twice that of traditional packaging. The implications of this work suggest that circular supply chains covering the entire life cycle of products, based on a pragmatic approach, can drive the convergence of consumption and production patterns toward sustainable development.