Cell Programming and the Beauty Industry
The beauty and personal care industry is one of the most lucrative ventures of capitalism as it is worth more than $500 billion. In addition, it is one of the most wasteful and environmentally destructive enterprises. While a significant amount of this waste is generated through packaging alone, the production of beauty products heavily contributes to the industry’s negative environmental impact. The Commercial Waste Trade organization reports that the beauty industry is responsible for the production of 120 billion units of packaging per year. Beauty companies such as Sephora have responded to this environmental crisis by adopting sustainability initiatives in an effort to reduce waste. Sephora is now affiliated with the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and strives to create and carry products with streamlined packaging designs.
Image Courtesy: The MBS Group
Packaging, however, is not the sole contributor to the industry’s overall waste output. The formulation of personal care products results in considerable carbon dioxide emissions, for ingredients must be harvested and transported over long distances. In 2019 alone, the beauty industry was responsible for generating 915 million tons of carbon dioxide. The plastic, cardboard, and cellophane waste used when transporting these products contribute to the industry’s net environmental impact. Furthermore, the process of manufacturing beauty products takes a toll on the environment. Both natural and synthetic ingredients require an array of chemicals to produce. These chemicals tend to leak toxins into the air and waterways, which accounts for yet another aspect of the beauty industry’s environmental impact. Through their sustainability initiative, Sephora claims to limit their contribution to production waste by carefully selecting suppliers who are committed to limiting the chemicals used as ingredients in various skincare products. This conscious effort by specific beauty brands alone is not enough to transform the industry, and advancements must be made in the overall production of skincare ingredients.
Image Courtesy: Ecocult
Cell programming seeks to revolutionize the personal care industry and limit the number of chemicals that go into the production of beauty ingredients. This is achieved by harnessing the naturally occurring process of fermentation. By coding cells to ferment more quickly, beauty products can be made more efficiently. For cell programming to become a viable production method, it must also satisfy the needs of beauty brands. The process can ultimately accelerate the creation of products as it eliminates the need for so much harvesting and transportation. Furthermore, cell programming effectively cuts down beauty manufacturing costs by allowing companies to produce ingredients more efficiently.
While it is important for individual companies to take responsibility for their impact on the environment, fundamental change must occur in the way beauty products are manufactured in order for any progress to be made. In response to this evident need for action, biological advancements in the form of cell programming provide a way for the beauty industry to create products in a more environmentally conscious way. Cell programming revolutionizes the manufacturing process by taking pre-harvested plant cells and altering their DNA, resulting in the production of more useful cells. By shifting the focus of beauty manufacturing, cell programming marks a transition to a more sustainable form of beauty that prioritizes the use of regenerative ingredients.
Strike Out,
Writer: Annamarie Simoldoni
Editors: Faveanny Leyva & Lexi Fernandez
Graphics: Katie Boucher
Tallahassee
