From Production to Pollution: The Environmental Impact and Sustainability in the Cosmetic Industry

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-888-2_66How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Cosmetic Waste; Cosmetic Industry; Environmental Pollution; Plastic Disposal

Abstract

Cosmetic waste is an increasingly urgent environmental issue worldwide, with millions of tons of packaging, microplastics, and expired products entering landfills and waterways each year. Improper disposal practices, limited recycling infrastructure, and the widespread use of non-biodegradable materials contribute significantly to pollution and harm various ecosystems. This paper investigates the environmental consequences of cosmetic waste, focusing on product disposal, packaging waste, its damaging effects, and possible solutions. Key research questions include: 1) How and why does cosmetic waste contribute to environmental pollution, and what barriers hinder sustainable recycling and disposal? 2) What strategies could mitigate cosmetic-related environmental harm across the supply chain? Methods include a review of existing scientific literature, studies on sustainable initiatives by cosmetic companies, and analyses of government and non-government organization reports on waste management practices. Potential solutions explored include innovations in sustainable packaging, increased public education, corporate responsibility programs, and improved regulatory frameworks. By identifying actionable strategies, the research aims to contribute to reducing the environmental footprint of the beauty industry.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Zhihanyue Liu
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/03
TI  - From Production to Pollution: The Environmental Impact and Sustainability in the Cosmetic Industry
BT  - Proceedings of the 2025 7th International Conference on Economic Management and Cultural Industry (ICEMCI 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 685
EP  - 697
SN  - 2352-5428
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-888-2_66
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-888-2_66
ID  - Liu2025
ER  -