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SPOT: A strategic life-cycle-assessment-based methodology and tool for cosmetic product eco-design

Jacques L’Haridon, Laure Patouillard, Julien Pedneault, Philippe Bonningue, Anne-Marie Boulay, Isabelle Rollat, Thierry Blanchard, Gabriel Gonçalves, Alice Hervio, Laurent Gilbert, François Witte and Marcial Vargas-Gonzalez

Article (2023)

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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.

Uncontrolled Keywords

eco-design; life cycle assessment; implementation; strategy; change management

Subjects: 1500 Environmental engineering > 1500 Environmental engineering
1600 Industrial engineering > 1604 Manufacturing
1600 Industrial engineering > 1606 Operations management
1800 Chemical engineering > 1800 Chemical engineering
Department: Department of Chemical Engineering
Research Center: CIRAIG - International Reference Centre for the Life Cycle of Products, Processes and Services
Funders: L'Oréal
PolyPublie URL: https://publications.polymtl.ca/56743/
Journal Title: Sustainability (vol. 15, no. 19)
Publisher: MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/su151914321
Official URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914321
Date Deposited: 23 Jan 2024 17:28
Last Modified: 10 Feb 2025 23:19
Cite in APA 7: L’Haridon, J., Patouillard, L., Pedneault, J., Bonningue, P., Boulay, A.-M., Rollat, I., Blanchard, T., Gonçalves, G., Hervio, A., Gilbert, L., Witte, F., & Vargas-Gonzalez, M. (2023). SPOT: A strategic life-cycle-assessment-based methodology and tool for cosmetic product eco-design. Sustainability, 15(19), 14321 (35 pages). https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914321

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