Breaking the Mold: Revolutionising Skincare as a Plastic Negative Brand

Breaking the Mold: Revolutionising Skincare as a Plastic Negative Brand

At Darl;’ we are very proud to be partnering with rePurpose Global – the world’s leading Plastic Action Platform – to fund the recovery of twice as much nature-bound plastic waste than we use across our Cleanser, Serum and Face Oil products and packaging. 

Through this partnership, Darl’ is enabling the removal of over 530lbs of plastic waste each year that would otherwise end up polluting the natural environment. That is the equivalent of over 122,000 plastic pouches or 13,500 plastic bottles removed from nature annually! 

Darl’ is supporting rePurpose Global’s impact project Saaf Samudra in Goa to collect and process plastic that is low value and unlikely to be recovered from the environment. This project focuses on the collection of multi-layered plastic (MLP); more than 50% of the plastic waste generated in urban cities of India is MLP that does not get collected because the material has no commercial value and lacks collection infrastructure. This includes soft, flexible types of packaging such as candy wrappers and chips packets. 

Globally, the beauty industry produces around 120 billion units of packaging annually, with estimates putting the amount recycled at only 9 per cent. The rest goes to landfill. With goals of becoming a prominent player in the skincare sector, Darl’ recognises the serious threat that plastic pollution poses to the future of our planet. Certifying products Plastic Negative forms part of Darl’s sustainability promise. 

“We have seen the devastating amount of waste generated every day by our industry, so to us, the urgency of this crisis was impossible to ignore” says Co-Founder and Darl’ Partner Emma Vaughan. “Our planet needs action on plastic waste and, with our Plastic Negative products, Darl’ is taking steps forward.” says.

By having products certified Plastic Negative, Darl’ is not only tackling the plastic waste crisis, but also supporting waste workers’ incomes by attaching value to hard-to-recycle plastics, and providing safe, stable, and fairly-paid employment opportunities through local waste management enterprises.

Darl’s commitment to the planet can be traced back to the origins of the brand. Within an industry defined by  over-consumption, and acutely aware of the global water scarcity crisis that it helps to exacerbate, the Darl’ team endeavored to bring an innovative approach to every decision they made.  

Darl’ are working towards waterless formulations as a gold standard, and today two of its three products are waterless. 

The Darl’ serum contains only 2% water, which marks a significant departure from the industry standards of 70- 80% water. Using glass packaging with recyclable refillables pouches available from launch was another key pillar in the brand’s efforts to limit its impact on the environment. 

 “Our mission has always been to offer our customers the highest quality product experience without having a detrimental impact on our beautiful planet,” said Co-Founder and Partner Josie Penn. “Environmental protection is at the core of the Darl’ brand,” said Aditya Siroya, Co-founder and Chief Impact Officer of rePurpose Global. “It is heartening to see them push the boundaries on tackling the plastic waste problem. We hope their commitment pushes more brands to take responsibility for the plastic that they are generating.” 

About rePurpose Global 
rePurpose Global is the world's leading Plastic Action Platform dedicated to fighting plastic waste. Its pioneering ecosystem of solutions allows companies to invest in critical waste management infrastructure, and supports them to calculate, reduce, and balance their products’ plastic footprints, while empowering grassroots waste management innovators around the world. 

To date, rePurpose Global has created systemic change with hundreds of purposeful brands worldwide, including Grove Collaborative, AB InBev, The Hut Group, Burt’s Bees, and Colgate. On behalf of its global coalition, the organisation eliminates millions of pounds of plastic waste from nature every year, and in doing so, positively impacts the lives of 10,000+ marginalised waste workers and community members worldwide. 

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