L’oréal and Watsons join forces for sustainability; Partner launches the first eco-friendly joint business plan in the beauty and wellness sectors in the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines, April 29, 2024 – L’Oréal and Watsons today announced the launch of the first green joint business plan in the Philippines, aimed at accelerating sustainability in the beauty and wellness sectors. L’Oréal and Watsons are joining forces to create programs that will help tackle plastic waste, raise awareness of sustainable choices and provide livelihood opportunities for the vulnerable people of the Philippines.

“This first eco-friendly joint business plan in the Philippines is a historic milestone in the long-standing collaboration between L’Oréal and Watsons in the Philippines. In addition to our responsible business practices, I am very proud that we are uniting to be catalysts for change by acting with urgency and helping to solve pressing environmental and social issues in the Philippines. This is the right decision,” he said Yannick RaynaudNational Managing Director of L’Oréal Philippines.

Danilo Chiong, The Managing Director of Watsons Philippines also shared his support for the partnership. “At Watsons, we have updated our brand promise from LOOK GOOD, FEEL GREAT to LOOK GOOD, DO GOOD, FEEL GREAT to highlight our strong commitment to more sustainable practices. This first-ever green shared business plan is a comprehensive approach to making a collective impact on our planet, our people and our products. I’m inspired by the work we’re doing with L’Oréal and the positive impact we can make in the Philippines, and I hope programs like this can inspire other companies to do what’s right for the environment.

Plastic pollution is a major challenge in the Philippines. In 2022, the Philippine government implemented Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act on the recovery and management of post-consumer recycled plastics. In 2023, L’Oréal recovered, recycled and recycled 100% of the plastic produced in the Philippines, exceeding the 20% target set by the government for year 1.street year of implementation.

Thanks to L’Oréal’s green joint business plan as part of the L’Oréal for the Future sustainability program and Watsons as part of the brand promise “Look Good, Do Good, Feel Great”, are accelerating the collective transformation towards a business model that respects planetary boundaries, strengthens the business ecosystem and strengthens commitments to drive inclusive growth.

Joint cooperation programs include:

• The Get your rewards back program run by Garnier, a brand belonging to the L’Oréal Group. Consumers are encouraged to donate empty cosmetics and wellness bottles to selected Watsons stores to receive discounts. The initiative kicks off this year on May 6 at 23 participating Watsons stores in Metro Manila.
• To help consumers make sustainable choices, L’Oréal is expanding the list of products in the Sustainable Choices Watsons category with products that are refillable, made from recycled materials and sustainable paper AND with ingredients derived from biological, abundant or closed-loop processes. An example of this is Garnier micellar water, which is made from 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) PET (R-PET). The cardboards used in L’Oréal packaging are made of FSC-certified paper.
• All point of sale materials (POSM) used by L’Oréal in Watsons stores are Designed 100% ecologically. They follow the 3R strategy of reducing the weight of products and packaging by designing them with smaller dimensions and lighter materials wherever possible. In addition, L’Oréal aims to replace traditional materials with alternatives that have a better environmental impact, making them more suitable for reuse and recycling.
• Watsons also supports L’Oréal’s Digital Beauty Academya social inclusion program that provides training in beauty, wellbeing and social commerce, and aims to equip individuals with valuable skills that will enable them to thrive in the digital space and gain livelihood opportunities.
• L’Oréal will support Watsons Alagang Pangkalusugan a medical and wellness program that aims to improve the overall well-being of vulnerable communities. The Alagang Pangkalusugan the program will cover Metro Manila, Palawan, Bacolod, Iloilo and Pampanga this year.
• L’Oréal raises the qualifications of Watsons brand ambassadors and staff in the field of sustainability and conscious consumption, using L’Oreal e-learning for the future module.

As part of its L’Oréal For the Future commitment, L’Oréal will recycle or bio-source 100% of the plastics used in its packaging by 2030. L’Oréal is also working to ensure that 95% of the ingredients in its products come from a bio-based, mineral-rich or circular process by 2030.

About Watson Philippines:

Watsons is Asia’s leading O+O (offline and online) health and beauty retailer, currently operating 8,000 stores and over 1,500 pharmacies in 15 markets in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Watsons has been recognized as the #1 retailer in Asia*, offering personalized health, beauty and personal care advice and consultancy, in addition to its market-leading product range, helping customers LOOK GOOD, GOOD AND FEEL GREAT every day. Watsons is the flagship health and beauty brand of AS Watson Group.

*Study of the 50 best campaign brands in the Asia-Pacific region, which involved 10,000 respondents from 6 Asian countries.

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