Meet The Skin Care Brand That’s Taking 200,000 Milk Bottles Out Of Landfill

There’s no denying it, the beauty industry has a waste problem that requires urgent attention. So, what’s the way forward? Well, if you’re asking the new kid on the natural skin care block, etch&ethos, the answer is going to surprise you.

As part of the family-owned Ego Pharmaceuticals business (the team behind some of your favourite skin care brands such as QV, Elucent and SunSense), etch&ethos is a brand with our future generations in mind. Built for the eco-conscious among us who need more than just a label claiming to be ethical and sustainable, etch&ethos is pulling back the curtain and addressing its environmental footprint with more than a simple ‘take our word for it’ approach. And the secret? Milk bottles.

Now before we dive into exactly how that works, here’s a little eye-opening context. Across the globe, the beauty industry alone is said to produce 120 million units of packaging per year. Nine per cent of that number is estimated to be recycled, while the other 91 per cent is going straight into landfill. Yep, scary.

Here’s why you can feel good about etch&ethos

With natural, ethical and sustainable skin care driving the brand, every single product we bring home from etch&ethos is kind on the environment. Whether it’s through 94 percent naturally derived^ ingredients or the refillable bottles the scientifically formulated washes and lotions are housed in, a sizeable impact is made long before the ‘Summer Citrus’ Hydrating Body Wash even makes it to our shower shelf.

Now, back to those milk bottles…

By extending the good work refillable packaging is doing, etch&ethos have not only made a commitment to keeping their bottles out of landfill, but they’re also removing extra rubbish during the process.

How so? Each bottle within the range has been crafted using 50 per cent recycled milk bottle plastic. It’s a commitment which will see them divert 200,000 milk bottles* that would otherwise be sitting in the ground. No small feat.

But why stop there? In an Australian first, each etch&ethos bottle also wears a label made entirely out of ForestFilm — a material which is made from paper manufacturing waste.

As it stands, there’s a theory floating around that in order to make a commitment to being environmentally conscious, quality or aesthetic must be sacrificed. However, it’s clearly time to put this myth to bed once and for all. The proof is in the natural and luxurious botanical-scented body care pudding and etch&ethos is one brand we’ll certainly be proud to display in our bathrooms.

^etch&ethos products contain 94% naturally derived ingredients, as per ISO16128.

*Calculated estimate for a 12 month period.