Since being born on South Molton Street, London in 1971, the founders of Molton Brown were early pioneers in positive luxury – an ethos Molton Brown still ingrained in the business. For them it includes being responsible for the path the products take to get into consumers’ hands and doing good while making them feel good. Throughout the brand’s 50 years, Molton Brown has always had conscious care for the world. In recognition of this 50th anniversary milestone the brand has outlined an ongoing commitment to the planet and its sustainability journey.
Molton Brown CEO Mark Johnson commented, “Driven by our pioneering legacy, our mission is to rewrite the rules of luxury; putting uncompromising care at the heart of everything we do — be it with our people, our products or our places. With these new initiatives, we are leveraging the focus on sustainability which already exists within both the brand’s DNA and our working practices, to set Molton Brown apart as a pioneer in luxury sustainable lifestyles.”
Made Local
The brand's founders were committed to making their products in England, sourcing only the finest natural ingredients and rejecting typical chemical formulas of the ’70s. The company celebrates 50 years of being Made in England. The Elsenham facility will be net carbon neutral by 2021, while offsetting its carbon footprint. They've used 100% renewable electricity in the facility since 2016 and recycled nearly 98% of its waste in 2020.
Plastic Reduction
Moldon Brown has made a commitment to reducing single-use plastic and virgin materials, which has already begun using 50% recycled PET in the production of its make plastic bottles which reduces the use of virgin plastic by the equivalent weight of approximately 4.8 million Molton Brown 300ml bottles per year. This is significantly higher than the EU target to reach 25% recycled plastic bottle content by 2025.
Refillable Handwash on Loop Platform
Molton Brown has teamed up with Loop to offer refills of three of its top-selling liquid handwashes Delicious Rhubarb & Rose, Orange & Bergamot, and Coastal Cypress & Sea Fennel in refillable 200ml formats. Customers order handwashes online and have their orders delivered by Loop. Once finished the product is finished, Loop collects the bottles, cleans, sanitizes, and refills them, and delivers them back to customers’ homes.
“We’re proud to partner with Loop, a truly game-changing way of sustainable living,” commented Molton Brown Global Vice President Marketing Beatrice Descorps. “This system, the first of its kind, aligns with our core belief of putting the environment first. By allowing our customers to experience our products endlessly and ethically, without compromising on quality, Loop helps us eradicate waste and keeps our earth thriving.”
Return, Recycle, Reward
The new sustainability scheme is aimed at ensuring every component of its packaging is transformed and given new life encouraging customers to return empties back to stores. They will be collected for recycling and sent to a partner recycling facility operated by Cleantech where bottles will be transformed into plastic resin, which can then be used for moulding new bottles, crafting shoes or building roads. As an incentive, those who return a 300ml bottle, or bottles that add up to 300ml, will receive 10 percent off their next purchase.
Descorps said of the program, “Only we are responsible for protecting our planet – we believe that sustainability is more than the right thing to do, it’s a must. Our new ‘Return. Recycle. Reward.’ Program pays homage to our pioneering founders, who put nature at the core of its philosophy. By transforming our bottles into new resources, we’re one step closer to reducing landfill and creating a circular economy for future generations.”
Cruelty Free
The brand has never tested on animals since its inception 1971 and has been Leaping Bunny-approved since 2012. Current formulations are are 100% vegetarian and 97% of products are vegan. The business will be 100% vegan manufactured by 2022 using no ingredient of animal origin.
Earlier this year the brand unveiled a new Signature Dispenser to eliminate the need for single-use bottles. The system provides a smart solution that reduces waste by supporting refillable beauty. The new dispenser will significantly reduce waste and excess spending while supporting Molton Brown’s hotel partners’ conscious care for the environment. Installing it would prevent more than 18,250 bottles and 137kg of plastic from being sent to landfills every year, based on Molton Brown data of 30ml bottles used annually in a typical 100-room luxury hotel.
