Measures for circular economy
KOSÉ’s View on Waste Reduction and Circular Economy
Since 1991, the KOSÉ Group has been striving to reduce the global environmental impact of its business activities by promoting the corporate message of “Wisdom and Beauty for People and the Earth”. Our group‘s Basic Environmental Policy calls for efforts to circular economy by reducing waste and plastic, recycling activities, and reducing the weight of packaging materials. We aim to become a company and make a society that is friendly to the global environment by taking various kinds of waste generated by our business activities as resources and effectively utilizing them.
KOSÉ Group Plastic Policy
Plastic is an excellent material for a variety of applications, including cosmetics containers and packaging and storefront fixtures, and has been used in various forms in the activities of the KOSÉ Group, including product containers and storefront fixtures. On the other hand, the impact of plastic on the global environment, such as land and sea pollution, resource depletion, and climate change, is an urgent issue that needs to be resolved. In our “KOSÉ Sustainability Plan,” we aim to design environmentally friendly plastic containers and packaging and reduce waste. With the aim of promoting circularity and waste reduction while continuing to use plastic effectively and appropriately, we have formulated the “KOSÉ Group Plastic Policy” which consists of two perspectives: "Reduction of Environmental Impact" and "Partnership with Stakeholders.”
1. Reduction of Environmental Impact
- We promote the design of products, fixtures, and services to reduce plastic consumption (Reduce)
- We support consumers' proactive reuse of containers by expanding products and services for filling and replacement (Reuse)
- We use materials and designs that are easy to recycle in our products and fixtures, and actively work to collect and recycle materials after use. Also, we make effective use of unused plastic materials (Recycle)
- We promote the use of recycled and biomass plastic (Renewable)
- We will consider new materials and technologies with low environmental impact and use them in our products.
The four initiatives, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Renewable, for circular economy, are collectively called 4Rs.
2. Partnership
- We work with manufacturers and suppliers to develop plastic containers, packaging, and fixtures that contribute to reducing environmental impact.
- We work together with customers, distributors, recyclers, peer companies, chemical manufacturers, government agencies, and other parties to realize effective plastic recycling.
- We enhance our ability to respond to all environmental issues surrounding plastic by revitalizing internal communication.
- We provide easy-to-understand information on the utilization, disposal, and recycling of plastic.
- We use plastic that meets our strict in-house standards and considered safe and healthy to deliver peace of mind and satisfaction to our customers.
Based on this policy, the KOSÉ Group is committed to reducing the global environmental impact of all plastic-related products, including containers, packaging, fixtures, and microplastic beads, and to working with stakeholders to realize circular economy.
Efforts in Product Containers and Packaging
As part of our efforts to promote the 4Rs (Reduce/Reuse/Recycle/Renewable), we are working to reduce the amount of plastic used in containers and packaging by making them more compact and replacing them with paper, offering a lineup of refill and replacement products, designs for ease of refill, designs for easy sorting and disposal, and using recycled plastic and bioplastics.
Reducing plastic consumption by making the container thinner
Reducing plastic consumption by making it compact
Reducing plastic consumption by making the film thinner
Efforts to Collect Used Containers
We are collecting used containers for brands including SEKKISEI, PRÉDIA, and ADDICTION in store. We are collecting used containers for brands including SEKKISEI, PRÉDIA, and ADDICTION in store, and considering to recycle them into new, valuable materials.
These efforts utilize a collection program operated by TerraCycle Japan.
"SEKKISEI Earth Beauty Program" poster and
Container Collection Box
(1) SEKKISEI: SEKKISEI Earth Beauty Program
We collect empty plastic containers of KOSÉ skin care products at our directly managed Maison KOSÉ stores and Aeon KOSÉ Cosmetics corners.
(2) PRÉDIA: Thank the Sea Project
We collect empty plastic containers of PRÉDIA skin care products at cosmetics specialty stores Parfum, Island trip, and SENKOYA.
(3) ADDICTION: Recycling Program
We collect used empty container of ADDICTION eyeshadow and blush products at ADDICTION counters.
(4) KOSÉ “Glam Beautique Recycling Program”
KOSÉ is a member of the "Glam Beautique Recycling Program," a collaborative effort launched by cosmetics and everyday items manufacturers, to collect used containers of our hair care, skin care, and makeup products at AEON and AEON Style stores in Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu.
Efforts on Upcycling Cosmetic Products
KOSÉ is promoting an upcycling initiative to utilize cosmetics that have fulfilled their role as valuable resources. We provide color-powder cosmetics such as eye shadow, left over from the process of quality improvement/control in our laboratories to MÅNGATA Corporation to be revived into a variety of products including paints, printing inks, hair accessories, and ballpoint pens for use in communication with customers and consumers.
This initiative is part of the "Comprehensive Collaboration in the Area of Sustainability in the Cosmetics Business" between KOSÉ and Kao Corporation, which began in October 2021 (excluding hair accessories).
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SminkArt®: Paint recycled from cosmetics
(Developed by MÅNGATA Corporation) -
Gift box printed with ecosme ink®,
an ink product recycled from cosmetics
(Produced and printed by TOPPAN Inc.) -
ame: Hair accessary series made by resin containing cosmetics material
(Produced by Honda Plus Co., Ltd.)
SminkArt® pen: Water-based ballpoint pen made from cosmetic material
(Technical cooperation by Sakura Color Products Corporation)
Horizontal Recycling of Refill Packs
KOSÉ is participating in "KOBE PLASTIC NEXT -- Let's Connect Together. Refill Pack Recycling," a project in which Kobe City, retailers, manufacturers, and recyclers work together to achieve horizontal recycling of refill packs.
While refill packs contribute to reducing the amount of plastic used for containers, they have been considered difficult to recycle. In this project, various companies involved in the plastic supply chain work together to realize "horizontal recycling," in which refill packs are recycled back into the same refill packs.
For the Global Environment
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Environmental Indicators
Initiatives to Address Climate Change
Low-Carbon Transition Plan
Measures for circular economy
Efforts related to products
Efforts in manufacturing
Efforts at offices, logistics operations, and shops
Overall data on environmental impact