Why the Beauty Industry Sucks: The Reality of Packaging, Marketing, and Supply Chains (Part One)

In this episode, we’re kicking off a mini-series on the beauty industry, focusing on what’s wrong with it. But don’t worry — it won’t be all doom and gloom! We’ll also be looking at solutions to these problems.

I’ve spent over a decade in this industry, and to be honest, it really kind of sucks. That’s actually where Ethique came from — a desire to tackle all the waste the beauty industry creates. So join me in this episode as we take a look behind the pretty packaging and sparkly glitter to uncover what’s really going on behind the scenes.

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Transcript

Brianne: Kia ora kaitiaki, and welcome to Now That's What I Call Green. I'm your host, Brianne West—an environmentalist and entrepreneur trying to get you as excited about our planet as I am. I'm all about using science to make the world a better place—without the judgment, and making it fun. And of course, we’ll be chatting about some of the most amazing creatures we share our planet with.

If you're looking to navigate everything green—or not so green—you've come to the right place.

Kia ora kaitiaki, and welcome back.

Some of you may know that I’m the founder and former CEO of Ethique, a regenerative beauty brand. And that’s important because today, I’m kicking off a new mini-series on the beauty industry—or more specifically, what’s wrong with it and, most importantly, how we can fix it.

This is going to be a four-part series where we break down the problems and solutions. We’ll start with some of the biggest challenges facing the beauty industry and end with what we can actually do to make better choices.

I’ve spent over a decade in this industry, and honestly? It kinda sucks. It’s the furthest thing from beautiful. I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the really frickin’ awful—and that’s exactly why I started Ethique. I was frustrated by the industry’s ridiculous levels of waste and dodgy supply chains, and I wanted to do beauty better.

So if you’re ready to look beyond the pretty packaging and sparkly glitter and see what’s really happening behind the scenes… listen on, dear listener.

The Elephant in the Room: Overconsumption

Everything I’m about to talk about is made infinitely worse by the fact that we overconsume beauty products.

We’ve officially entered the era of fast beauty—a term stolen from fast fashion—which describes the insanely rapid turnaround of new beauty products. Some brands take just a couple of months to go from idea to shelf.

For context, a company like Unilever has an R&D cycle of 2 to 4 years. Fast beauty brands are doing it in weeks.

This means:

• Constant new collections, usually tied to trends or seasons.
• Products that are nearly identical to what already exists but are marketed as revolutionary.
• Influencer-driven hype that convinces us we need way more than we actually do.

The average person uses about 12 beauty products every single day.

And before you say, “No, I don’t,” think about it:

• Shampoo & conditioner
• Body wash or soap
• Moisturizer
• Deodorant
• Makeup
• Toothpaste

It adds up fast.

And here’s the kicker—women in the U.S. spend between $3,500 and $4,000 per year on cosmetics. The U.S. beauty industry alone is worth $90 billion, and globally, it's expected to reach $800 billion by 2027.

So yeah, we’re buying a lot of it.

But are we actually using it?

Nope.

On average, 25% of beauty products are thrown away before they’re finished.

• We buy new foundation, so we don’t finish the old one.
• We try skincare that sucks, so it gets tossed.
• We get sucked into trend-based marketing, so we end up with 10 versions of the same product.

And that waste? It’s massive.

The Beauty Industry’s Packaging Problem

When we think about waste in beauty, we think about packaging—and for good reason.

The beauty industry produces 120 billion units of packaging every single year.

Yeah, I felt sick just saying that.

That includes everything from tiny mascara tubes to shampoo bottles—most of which are designed for single-use. Once the product is finished, the container is tossed, and only a tiny fraction is recycled.

Reminder: Only 9% of plastic is ever recycled.

The Problem With Plastic

Now, I started Ethique because of packaging. Liquids need to be packaged in something, and because compostable materials aren’t ready for mass use, that something is usually plastic or glass.

And here’s the thing—plastic is an incredible material.

• It’s stable, resilient, and flexible.
• It’s cheap and easy to produce.
• It’s essential in medicine and food safety.

But those same properties make it disastrous for the environment when it ends up in our oceans and waterways.

And because beauty packaging is often made from mixed materials, like:

• Lipstick tubes (plastic casing + metal springs)
• Mascara wands (multiple plastics + synthetic bristles)
• Pump bottles (plastic + metal)

…these things cannot be recycled properly.

Even if you try to recycle that lipstick tube, it’s going to landfill—because most recycling plants can’t process mixed materials.

The Reality of “Recycled” Plastic

Some brands use PCR (post-consumer recycled) plastic—which, in theory, is great because it’s made from recycled plastic bottles instead of virgin plastic.

But here’s where it gets messy:

• Plastic degrades every time it’s recycled (unlike glass).
• The demand for high-quality PCR plastic far exceeds supply—so some brands mix in virgin plastic and still call it “recycled.”
• The PCR supply chain is incredibly murky, and some brands simply slap a “recycled” label on their products without real transparency.

So while recycled plastic is a good step, it’s not a perfect solution.

And No, Glass Isn’t the Answer Either

I know what you’re thinking: “What about glass?”

Glass isn’t as sustainable as people think.

• It’s insanely energy-intensive to produce.
• Despite being infinitely recyclable, most glass isn’t actually recycled.
• On most lifecycle analyses, single-use plastic is better than single-use glass.

And before you ask: Yes, single-use glass is a thing.

• Every beer, wine, and soda bottle that’s not reused is single-use glass.

The Darker Side of Beauty: Exploitation & Human Rights

We talk a lot about fast fashion’s supply chain abuses, but beauty isn’t any better—we just don’t talk about it as much.

Palm Oil: The Hidden Villain

Palm oil is in 95% of cosmetics—moisturizers, soaps, shampoos, toothpaste, and more.

It’s an incredibly efficient crop, but it comes at a cost:

• Massive deforestation—destroying rainforests in Indonesia and Malaysia.
• Biodiversity loss—wiping out habitats for orangutans and Sumatran tigers.
• Human rights abuses—including forced labor and child exploitation.

A full palm oil episode is coming soon—so keep an eye out for that.

Mica: The Sparkle With a Dark Side

Mica gives makeup its shimmery glow.

But 25% of mica is mined using child labor—kids as young as five working in dangerous, unregulated mines in India and Madagascar.

Again, ask your brands about sourcing—if they don’t talk about it, assume the worst.

Final Thoughts: Where Do We Go From Here?

We can’t just stop buying beauty products—but we can be more intentional.

✔ Buy less. Overconsumption is the core issue.
✔ Choose transparency. If a brand isn’t talking about sourcing, that’s a red flag.
✔ Support ethical brands. Vote with your dollars.

And most importantly? Stay tuned for the next episode—where we’ll dive into solutions and innovations trying to fix this industry.

Kia ora kaitiaki, and until next time, mā te wā.

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