The impact of our cosmetics

The Positive Impact of Our Natural and Sustainable Cosmetics: For People, the Planet, and Animals

At Banbu, our mission from day one has been to create natural and eco-friendly cosmetics that not only care for people but are also responsible towards the planet and animals. We consider ourselves a project conscious that every action has an impact, so we set out to quantify and measure each of those impacts to visualize the REAL IMPACT we have as a brand. We have designed a technical approach that goes beyond words and is supported by concrete data, to demonstrate that our cosmetics are a sustainable alternative to traditional products.

1. Measuring Our Impact: Transparency and Real Metrics

To be able to measure our impact, we developed our own algorithm that allows us to precisely quantify the amount of plastic packaging we have avoided, the amount of water we have saved, and the CO2 we have not emitted in the manufacture of our products. We want to be able to demonstrate the positive impact of every product we create, not just in terms of quality, but also in terms of the environment.

The algorithm we have designed categorizes each product based on quantity, duration, and composition. This allows us to determine how much packaging is saved when comparing our products with other conventional ones, in addition to calculating the water and energy savings we achieve by eliminating unnecessary and toxic ingredients.

Each month, we cross-reference this data with sales for each product, which provides us with a precise impact metric. It seems simple when we reduce it to a paragraph, but it has been a complex process that has required the collaboration of our partners (suppliers, manufacturers) and universities, which have helped us verify the data and project our annual impact forecasts.

2. Reducing Water Consumption: Waterless Cosmetics

Water is a limited and essential resource for life, but in the conventional cosmetic industry, its use is excessive. We made a decision from the start: to create waterless products, not only to conserve this resource but to make our products more concentrated, lighter, and effective.

• Water savings: Thanks to our waterless formulas, we save 70% of the resource compared to conventional cosmetics. Furthermore, by eliminating water, our products require smaller containers, which reduces the use of packaging materials and transport weight.
• Impact on transport: With this reduction in weight and size, we have managed to decrease the weight of our shipments by 35%, which in turn implies a significant reduction in carbon emissions generated during transport.
  
  
  
  

3. Less Waste: Sustainable Packaging and Plastic Reduction

At Banbu, we are committed to minimizing waste. Conventional cosmetics generate large amounts of plastic waste, and we have opted to use sustainable packaging, made from recycled glass (PCR) or recyclable materials.

• Plastic savings: Each of our products avoids, on average, 50 grams of plastic per unit compared to traditional cosmetics.
• Use of recycled materials: We use 100% recycled paper for our packaging, printed with vegetable inks. This has allowed us to reduce the carbon footprint associated with packaging manufacturing by 60%.
  
  

4. Reducing CO2 Emissions: Sustainable Production and Transport

Our commitment to the environment does not stop at ingredients or packaging; we also apply measures to reduce our carbon footprint in the production and distribution of our products.

• Renewable energy: We are integrating photovoltaic energy systems in our facilities to achieve zero energy consumption in our factories.
• Avoided emissions: By not using water and reducing transport weight, we have achieved a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions, and thanks to renewable energy, we have decreased them by an additional 15%.
• Reduced carbon footprint: In total, our products generate 40% fewer CO2 emissions compared to conventional cosmetics.
  

5. Ethical and Local Production: Proximity Ingredients

We ensure that 90% of our ingredients are of national origin, which reduces the carbon footprint associated with the transport of raw materials and supports small local producers.

• Sustainable ingredients: We use natural raw materials, such as trehalose, which hydrates the skin lastingly, or ginseng, which stimulates cell regeneration. Each of these ingredients has proven benefits for both the skin and the environment.
• Vegan and cruelty-free cosmetics: At Banbu, our products are cruelty-free and do not contain ingredients of animal origin. Furthermore, we avoid raw materials that may contribute to deforestation, such as palm oil.

6. Avoiding Contamination of Rivers and Seas

One of the major concerns in conventional cosmetics is the pollution of rivers and seas. Many conventional products contain toxic or non-biodegradable ingredients that end up leaking into aquatic systems, severely affecting marine biodiversity. At Banbu, we use biodegradable raw materials, which means our products decompose naturally and do not leave harmful residues.

• Positive impact on the aquatic environment: Our products contain no microplastics or compounds harmful to marine ecosystems, thus avoiding the pollution of rivers and seas.
• Protection of marine biodiversity: By opting for 100% biodegradable ingredients, we ensure that our formulas do not contribute to the death of aquatic species or the deterioration of marine habitats, a critical problem that affects millions of tons of marine life every year.

7. Closing the Loop: Towards Regenerative Cosmetics

We want to go beyond sustainability and move towards a regenerative model, meaning not only minimizing environmental impact but also improving the environment. This includes initiatives such as:

• Introducing returnable packaging to continue reducing waste.
• Supporting reforestation projects to restore damaged ecosystems.
• Managing the last mile of our shipments via 100% electric transport, further reducing emissions.

8. The Future of Our Cosmetics

Currently, few brands in the cosmetic industry can perform an impact calculation as precise as the one we have developed at Banbu. This allows us not only to measure our success but also to project a more positive future.

We know what we have achieved so far:

• Saving thousands of liters of water.
• Avoiding the emission of tons of CO2.
• Reducing the use of tons of plastic.
• Protecting the biodiversity of our marine ecosystems.
  
  

But this is just the beginning. Thanks to the metrics we obtain month by month, we can adjust and improve our operations to continue generating a positive impact. Now that we have the data, what do we do with it? The answer is clear: we get down to work to continue advancing in our mission to create water and toxic free cosmetics that truly make a difference.