Dear Humans,
Have you ever heard of the Gaia Hypothesis? It states that all the spheres of the Earth come together to form a complex system, where it strives to find an optimal environment for contemporary life (Carpenter, 2010). With that being said, it shows that humans depend on nature as much or even more than nature depends on humans. Everything is connected. From the hydrosphere to the atmosphere and biosphere, it is all interlinked with one another. Since you humans require resources from the Earth, why are you harming it?
Producers vision: The Gaia Hypothesis
In the beauty industry, the Gaia Hypothesis comes into good use by providing producers with an aim of the green products they should strive for. As stated earlier, the Gaia hypothesis posits that nature and humans are all connected, hence, protecting the environment would reap benefits for humans as well. A producer should strive for an environmentally friendly production method and ways that help the end-of-life of a product to be sustainable. In order to have a healthy functioning system on Earth, natural ingredients are needed rather than the toxic chemicals that are present in your beauty products today.
Outcome: Zero Waste
If beauty companies are able to adopt the concept of the Gaia Hypothesis, Zero Waste can be achieved. During production, it is crucial that biodegradable materials are used for the packaging. After consumption, the packaging can then be easily recycled, hence allowing a zero-waste situation. This also requires the cooperation of the consumer, but this will be covered in another post. Stay tuned!
Successful example of The Gaia Hypothesis: Seed Phytonutrients
In terms of production, their bottles are made from paper where it is 100% from recycled materials (Young, 2019). They partner TerraCycle, where their entire bottle and pump can be recycled. As an additional incentive, they even have an heirloom herb seed hidden in their packaging for consumers. This is to encourage their consumers to support more resilient plant growth across the planet. From production, to end-of-life to giving back to nature. Isn’t it perfect?
(Source: LO’real, 2018)
Producers, I leave you with this. I hope that the Gaia Hypothesis has inspired you to lead your company differently where beauty and nature can be seen as a single entity.
Hopeful vibes,
Mother Nature
References:
Carpentier, C. L. (2010). The Vanishing Face of Gaia – By James Lovelock. Natural Resources Forum, 34(4), 333-335. doi:10.1111/j.1477-8947.2010.01335.x
L’Oréal. (2018, May 03). Seed Phytonutrients: Farmer Fresh and Seed Obsessed. Retrieved November 10, 2020, from https://www.loreal.com/en/news/brands/seed-phytonutrients-farmer-fresh-and-seed-obsessed/
These Biodegradable Natural Beauty Brands Are Giving Back to the… (n.d.). Retrieved November 10, 2020, from https://pebblemag.com/magazine/living/biodegradable-natural-beauty-brands