Packaging
Maybelline relies heavily on single-use plastic packaging with minimal recycled content. Most products (tubes, compacts, etc.) are in virgin plastic and not designed for reuse or easy recyclability. Maybelline has no refill systems or reusable packaging options, and small mixed-material makeup components are hard for consumers to recycle.
According to their website, its new Green Edition products use up to 95% recycled materials in packaging (e.g. recycled plastic caps, FSC-certified cardboard). The brand also labels recycling info and has launched a take-back scheme to help consumers return empties.
However, these initiatives are recent and limited in reach. Current efforts, while commendable, have not yet meaningfully reduced packaging impact.
Ingredient Sustainability
Maybelline’s formulations use a wide array of conventional cosmetic chemicals, many of which score low on the sustainability index (petrochemical-derived, non-renewable, or resource-intensive).
Their mascara contains multiple petroleum derivatives (e.g. synthetic polymers, propylene glycol, triethanolamine) and non-biodegradable silicones. It also uses mined mineral wax (ozokerite) which are non-renewable.
The natural ingredients present (beeswax, corn starch) are renewable, but beeswax is an animal by-product with ethical considerations. Many ingredients (parabens, BHT, EDTA) persist in the environment or carry moderate eco-toxicity, indicating poor end-of-life sustainability.
Their best-selling foundation uses multiple microplastics and silicones (nylon-12 powder, siloxanes, crosslinked polymers) for texture – all non-renewable and not biodegradable. Their Matte Lipsticks is almost entirely made of silicones and plastic-like polymers.
The bulk of Maybelline’s portfolio remains conventional and unsustainable regardless of their announcement to be experimenting with “Greener Formulas”.
Energy & Carbon Footprint
The brand participates in broader L’Oréal initiatives like reforestation for carbon insetting and uses tools to evaluate product carbon footprints. Its sustainability webpage states data will be audited by an independent party and progress reported annually – indicating transparency. However, one should be careful with greenwashing claims from famous brands like Maybelline.
Continued success will depend on more efforts throughout, hitting the 2025 and 2030 goals they had mentioned on their website, and neutralizing remaining emissions through credible offsets or innovations.
Waste Management
L’Oréal (Maybelline’s parent company) adopted a “zero waste to landfill” policy for all factories and distribution centers. By 2017, several L’Oréal plants (e.g. in Russia and the US) had attained 100% landfill diversion. In 2016 L’Oréal USA declared all 21 of its facilities “zero waste to landfill”meaning all manufacturing waste is reused, recycled, or converted to energy.
By partnering with organizations like The Recycling Partnership, the brand is investing in improving community recycling infrastructure. These actions show Maybelline is “making meaningful strides” on waste issues.
Business Model
Maybelline’s core business model reflects a fast consumption paradigm.
The brand’s strategy is to sell high volumes of affordable cosmetics, frequently launching new trends and products to drive consumption.
Maybelline introduces dozens of new products or shade extensions each year (e.g. seasonal collections, influencer collaborations like Miley x Maybelline), encouraging customers to buy the latest makeup looks. The company does not promote product longevity or minimalism; instead, marketing often emphasizes having many different products.
