SPOT: A Strategic Life-Cycle-Assessment-Based Methodology and Tool for Cosmetic Product Eco-Design

Jacques L’Haridon (), Laure Patouillard, Julien Pedneault, Anne-Marie Boulay, François Witte, Marcial Vargas-Gonzalez, Philippe Bonningue, Isabelle Rollat, Thierry Blanchard, Gabriel Goncalves, Alice Hervio and Laurent Gilbert
Additional contact information
Jacques L’Haridon: L’Oréal Research & Innovation, 1 Avenue Eugène Schueller, 93600 Aulnay-Sous-Bois, France
Laure Patouillard: CIRAIG, Department of Chemical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, 3333 Queen Mary Rd Suite 310, Montreal, QC H3V 1A2, Canada
Julien Pedneault: CIRAIG, Department of Chemical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, 3333 Queen Mary Rd Suite 310, Montreal, QC H3V 1A2, Canada
Anne-Marie Boulay: CIRAIG, Department of Chemical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, 3333 Queen Mary Rd Suite 310, Montreal, QC H3V 1A2, Canada
François Witte: Quantis, 15 Rue de Cléry, 75002 Paris, France
Marcial Vargas-Gonzalez: Quantis, 15 Rue de Cléry, 75002 Paris, France
Philippe Bonningue: L’Oréal Opérations, 9 Rue Pierre Dreyfus, 92110 Clichy, France
Isabelle Rollat: L’Oréal Research & Innovation, 1 Avenue Eugène Schueller, 93600 Aulnay-Sous-Bois, France
Thierry Blanchard: L’Oréal Opérations, 9 Rue Pierre Dreyfus, 92110 Clichy, France
Gabriel Goncalves: L’Oréal Opérations, 9 Rue Pierre Dreyfus, 92110 Clichy, France
Alice Hervio: L’Oréal Opérations, 9 Rue Pierre Dreyfus, 92110 Clichy, France
Laurent Gilbert: L’Oréal Research & Innovation, 1 Avenue Eugène Schueller, 93600 Aulnay-Sous-Bois, France

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 19, 1-35

Abstract: The cosmetics industry is facing growing pressure to offer more sustainable products, which can be tackled by applying eco-design. This article aims to present the Sustainable Product Optimization Tool (SPOT) methodology developed by L’Oréal to eco-design its cosmetic products and the strategies adopted for its implementation while presenting the challenges encountered along the way. The SPOT methodology is based on the life cycle assessment (LCA) of a finished product and its subsystems (formula, packaging, manufacturing and distribution). Several environmental indicators are assessed, normalized and weighted based on the planetary boundaries concept, and then aggregated into a single footprint. A product sustainability index (a single rating, easy to interpret) is then obtained by merging the environmental product rating derived from the single environmental footprint with the social rating (not covered here). The use of the SPOT method is shown by two case studies. The implementation of SPOT, based on specific strategic and managerial measures (corporate and brand targets, Key Performance Indicators, and financial incentives) is discussed. These measures have enabled L’Oréal to have 97% of their products stated as eco-designed in 2022. SPOT shows how eco-design can be implemented on a large scale without compromising scientific robustness. Eco-design tools must strike the right balance between the complexity of the LCA and the ease of interpretation of the results, and have a robust implementation plan to ensure a successful eco-design strategy.

Keywords: eco-design; life cycle assessment; implementation; strategy; change management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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