CASE

Our planet is currently facing increasing environmental threats, with waste disposal
being one of the severe issues.
Studies have shown that on average, 50% of the environmental footprint of a
product is linked to its packaging. This is why plastic, which represents close to 60%
of the material used by the L’Oréal Group to produce its packaging (104,000 Tons
in 2018), proves to be a major issue for L’Oréal.
The L’Oréal Consumer Products Division, company’s biggest business unit,
consumes around 81,000 Tons of plastic per year. Although this number is marginal
in comparison to global plastic consumption, we know that we can do better. In
2018, The L’Oréal Group has joined the Ellen Mac Arthur “New Plastic Economy”
Alliance as a core-member (we worked with EMA for several years), committing to
enter a circular economy model. The key goal is to reach 100% recyclable,
reusable or compostable plastic packaging by 2025.

The Mission: Build a plastic-less future in the beauty industry.

The Brief: Create an innovation that reduces or eliminates the use of plastic by
inventing new circular business solutions, and by changing middle-class consumer
behavior.

PART I: BRIEF CLARIFICATIONS

Your innovation must combine all the aspects of the brief’s pillars below.
Reduce or eliminate the use of plastic:
Context: In recent years, there is less tolerance to the plastic materials. As
such, the demand for responsible and sustainable packaging has
increased. New materials are emerging on the market, being recycled
plastic materials, or alternatives to plastic, such as cardboard bricks carton
or other materials of renewable origin. The zero waste trend is growing in
several countries and is forcing the reinvention of single use packaged
products to help build waste free routines.
Your challenge: Improve the environmental profile of the existing products.
See ‘product assessment tool’ in resource pack for more details.
Define a plastic less strategy for a cosmetic CPD range, based on either
reducing significantly the use of plastic, replacing plastic with a more
sustainable material, or inventing reusable packaging formats based on a
circular model.
Find new business solutions:
Context: L’Oréal is already working within an ecosystem of partners to
 benefit from the best technologies. For example, L’Oréal co-founded a
consortium with Carbios to encourage the industrialization of the enzymatic
bio-recycling technology.
Your challenge: Your innovation should consider the existing ecosystem of
retailers / key stakeholders, and open new opportunities / partnerships for
L’Oréal. Your innovation should consider the holistic environmental footprint
of the product, from a life cycle analysis perspective: you should take into
account impacts across the life of the product, from the extraction of the
raw materials, to the production process, the distribution, and the end of
life.
Change consumer behavior:
Context: We know that the end-of-life of our products is responsible for a big
part of the product’s footprint, and that consumers’ habits are key in
reducing it (For example with a right recycling and sorting practice).
Your challenge: Your innovation must drive consumers to get and adopt
sustainable behaviours. Include a 360 communication campaign to
constantly educate existing consumers and to attract new consumers.

PART II: BUSINESS ASSUMPTIONS

Target group: Middle and upper middle class consumers. See resource pack for
more details.
Brand: Your innovation can be based on one brand in CPD.
Category: You need to cover all product categories (For example skincare,
haircare, make up etc) for the chosen brand.
Market: Your innovation should consider the situation in emerging markets as
priority. Bear in mind it should have the potential to be scaled up.
Point of purchase: According to the innovation proposed, you have to develop
the commercial strategy to launch it and make it a success (retail channel and
communication strategy). See resource pack to learn all channels in CPD.
Budget: You have no constraints in terms of budget, but do consider the long-term
profitability of your idea, as well as the fact that CPD is a mass division, with the
purpose to give access to sustainable beauty to the highest number of consumers.
Timing: The practical realization of your idea should take maximum 24 months.
Other factors: Take into consideration the latest trends in sustainability areas.
Meanwhile, your strategy and innovation should fully align with L’Oréal’s
sustainability commitment ‘SHARING BEAUTY WITH ALL’ Program. See resource
pack for more details.
Your strategy and argument of ideas should be based on both data from internal
resources and your own research.