The Beauty Industry Creates 120 Billion Units of Plastic Waste Every Year. Melodie Reynolds Shows Us a Better Way Forward.

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"You don't need seven lipsticks, but the beauty industry will tell you that you should buy seven lipsticks," says Melodie Reynolds.

There's a charge behind Reynold's voice. Still, the founder of ELATE Beauty, a sustainable cosmetics company, admits she too was once duped by "the shame-based marketing" fueled by large beauty companies. She was even inadvertently part of it earlier in her career, as she worked in beauty marketing and sales for large companies. She began to see the unethical pressure behind these companies and a drive to push people to buy more. The businesses were creating more products housed in packages that ended up in landfills—an estimated 120 billion pieces worth each year.

 
 

The tipping point for Reynolds came during a meeting. When she and colleagues were discussing ways to create storytelling around potential green initiatives, a senior employee casually said, "just put it in a green bottle." It was a hard lesson on the realness of greenwashing, says Reynolds. "It was never more apparent to me than in that moment that I was in the wrong place."

Reynolds put herself in the right place. Fueled with a drive to create beauty products that were kind to people and the planet, she founded Elate Beauty, a B-Corp-certified ethical cosmetics line focused on refillable packaging. Since its conception in 2024, ELATE has diverted 1.3 million packages from going to landfills—a feat for a single company. As Reynolds says, the journey has been about "how we can take a product from idea, from conception all the way to end of life, and make every single moment of that product's life cycle better—for the people making it, for the person buying it, and for the planet."

Reynolds walks us through more of her journey, starting a conscious brand. As she shares with us, our self-care rituals should never be harmful and filled with shame; they should be only practices that lift us. 

Melodie Reynolds on Creating a Better Beauty Future

#1: Environmental Citizenship at Its Core

"The thing that always attracted me the most to the beauty industry was the ability to help people feel good about themselves and use marketing as a tool for storytelling, to allow individuals to determine how the things they purchased made their lives better, and all without costing the planet. The very first salon I ever worked in was an environmentally friendly salon where we refilled all our shampoos. This was back in 1999! So being a good environmental citizen has always been important to me."

#2: The Shame-Based Marketing of Beauty

"As I worked in the beauty industry, I started to see that the values I held strongly were only very surface values [in the companies]. This all started to accumulate for me around 2008 when I was in a big marketing meeting at the company I worked for because a new demographic was identified: the LOHAS— a lifestyle of health and sustainability—demographic. It was a demographic that transcended socioeconomic status and included all genders and ages. These were individuals who wanted to choose products about living a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

#3: The Unsustainable Issue of Products

"The beauty industry gets people to buy tons of products, and all of that product ends up in the landfill. Then they feel bad about themselves, so then they buy more products. It's just a vicious cycle, contributing to the statistic of 120 billion plastic packages being made every year for the beauty industry. All of those end up in the landfill. We now have new recycling programs that are helping to try to curb some of that waste, but the biggest problem is that all of those packages still get made. That's enough for everyone on the planet to have a bag full of plastic stuff that they're going to dispose of every year. Those things inspired me to look at how we could do things differently."

 
 

#4: Bringing the Kindness and Joy Back to Beauty

"I started to feel like it was a burden putting on my makeup or trying to choose a new skin cream. It felt like it was something I was being forced to participate in. When all those things came together and converged for me, I thought beauty was supposed to be about joy. It's supposed to be about using the tools of adornment to perform your beauty ritual every morning and put your best face forward, whether it's makeup or brushing your teeth. The fact that we all have some type of beauty ritual in the morning means that we all have products that we are required to use, so all of those products should be better for the planet. And they should be reusable and refillable. They should be made with materials that are not polluting the environment. They should be made by individuals that aren't forced into slave labor. The beauty industry is fraught with just as many issues. So, for me, it was about how we can take a product from idea, from conception, all the way to end of life and make every single moment of that product's life cycle better—for the people making it, better for the person buying it, and for the planet. It is about having more time and space for joy, and the big part of that joy is not having a bunch of stuff you are ultimately responsible for throwing away.”

#5: Looking Ahead, One Refill at a Time

“Part of the problem is that we get that little delicious dopamine hit when we buy something— that's why retail therapy is real. So what we're trying to do is shift that little dopamine hit to when you refill something. When speaking in public, I have stood up many times and said, 'Who can honestly say they've ever actually finished a full tube of lipstick?' We're trying to create those opportunities.

We're a B Corp-certified company that was important to me from the start. We have a global beauty coalition of all beauty companies that are B Corps, where I sit on that board. One of the things we talk about is how we can use business as a force for good and use the beauty industry as a force for good rather than a tool of oppression. This has all led me from loving lipstick and wanting to help people feel good about themselves to global legislation to ensure that corporations are held accountable for the waste they produce.”

#6: Changing Our Language and Actions

“At ELATE, we've shied away as an organization from using the word ‘consumer’ because when you're trying to create a movement that is completely different from what everyone is used to, you need to change your language. We say 'environmental citizen,' because that is someone thoughtful about resources that they consume. And our beauty consumers are not beauty consumers; they're beauty citizens. That is where ELATE shines. Elate means joyful or prideful, and that's really what it is about. It's also an anagram for ‘everyone who loves a thoughtful experience’ because we felt that so many products are made without the thought and the intention behind them. So it was important to us to make sure that we always hold that in our hearts that everything we make is thoughtful.”

To learn more about ELATE Beauty, visit elatebeauty.com

Interview and words by Stacey Lindsay for PrimaFoodie.

 

One Founder on the Everyday Way to Save Money and Support the Environment

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When we think about climate change, we tend to focus on the obvious culprits, like car emissions and industrial pollution, says entrepreneur Jan Rem. But there's another contributor, one that's less visible but as significant lurking in our kitchens: food waste.

"The repercussions of food waste and its profound effect on the environment and climate change have become a pressing global and personal concern," Rem tells us, adding that modern consumer culture has fostered a "throwaway society” of overconsumption and a casual attitude towards wasting food. “This mindset has exacerbated the food waste problem, with many individuals discarding food items without considering the environmental consequences."

Rem is doing her part to tackle the problem with Ambrosia Bags, simple linen zipper produce bags she created in partnership with her son. Ambrosia offers a sustainable, convenient way to extend the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables. “By making this small change in how we store our produce, we can make a significant difference in our homes and beyond,” says Rem. 

We caught up with the founder and advocate to dig deeper into the issue of food waste and how we all can work to tackle this problem, one kitchen at a time. 

 
 

Talking with Jan Rem

Research states Americans waste 80 to 90 billion pounds of food annually. What is at the top of your mind that you want people to know?

Food waste ranks among the top three most significant food-related concerns for consumers, but there is a substantial gap between awareness and action. Educational initiatives aimed at enhancing public understanding of food waste and its repercussions are falling short of solving the problem. To truly address this global issue, we must move beyond mere awareness and implement concrete strategies to reduce food waste at all levels of the supply chain, from production to consumption. Only through concerted efforts and behavioral changes can we hope to mitigate the environmental impact of food waste and create a more sustainable future for our planet.

What personally inspired you to start Ambrosia?

Recognizing linen's beneficial and preservative qualities, I envisioned a world where everyone could access an all-natural linen ziplock produce refrigerator storage bag. My dream was to provide a sustainable solution for storing fresh produce that could extend its shelf life while promoting eco-friendly practices.

 
 

How does extending our produce's life help save food and reduce greenhouse gas emissions? 

As fruits and vegetables decompose, they release potent greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, primarily methane and carbon dioxide. These gasses trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, accelerating global warming. What's particularly alarming is that methane, the primary gas emitted by decaying food, is over 20 times more powerful at trapping heat than the carbon dioxide produced by vehicle emissions.

The scale of this problem is staggering. Globally, food waste is responsible for a whopping 11 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions related to our food systems. This means that the apples forgotten in your fridge or the lettuce wilting in your compost bin contribute to climate change in a measurable way.

By understanding the significant climate impact of food waste, we can take more informed actions to reduce our carbon footprint. Simple steps like meal planning, proper food storage, and composting can make a real difference in mitigating this often-overlooked source of greenhouse gasses.

How can better storing our fruits and veggies help us save money?

Every piece of produce we discard represents hard-earned money literally thrown away. By preserving our fruits and vegetables longer, Ambrosia Bags help us maximize our grocery budget.Beyond personal benefits, reducing food waste has far-reaching environmental implications. When we throw away less produce, we're not just saving money; we're conserving the valuable natural resources used to grow, transport, and store that food.

And there's the emotional well-being. The guilt associated with wasting food is a burden many of us carry. Ambrosia Bags alleviate this emotional toll, making us feel more responsible and satisfied with our consumption habits.

The problem with food waste and environmental issues can be overwhelming, perhaps causing some of us to feel lost about how we can do our part. What do you say to the person who feels overwhelmed?

I firmly believe that each of us has the potential to make a significant impact by taking responsibility for our actions. When we commit to making even the smallest changes to our counterproductive habits, we contribute to a collective effort that can transform both our lives and our environment. This is how we truly empower ourselves and create lasting change. By actively seeking sustainable solutions, we can simultaneously reduce our environmental footprint and alleviate the burden of self-imposed guilt. While these changes may initially require additional time or effort, the long-term benefits far outweigh the short-term inconveniences. The virtuous cycle of giving back to ourselves and our planet creates a powerful ripple effect that extends far beyond our individual actions.

What daily actions do you take to reduce waste and live more sustainably?

First and foremost, I prioritize best practices as a conscious consumer, which means I avoid overbuying and over planting in my garden. After returning home from the market or harvesting from my garden, I take the time to properly store all our fresh produce in Ambrosia Produce Bags. This gives me peace of mind, knowing that our precious produce will stay fresh until we're ready to enjoy it.

Additionally, I cherish the tradition passed down from my grandmother and mother of transforming leftovers. It's remarkable how a single dish can be reinvented by simply adding a few extra ingredients or by enjoying it either cold or hot.

I also make it a point to compost all food scraps in a closed system, enriching our garden soil and contributing to future harvests. This holistic approach not only reduces waste but also fosters a sustainable cycle of growth and nourishment.

What do you love most about running your company, Ambrosia, and educating people?

What I find truly remarkable and humbling is the way customers reach out to express their gratitude for the Ambrosia Produce Bags. One might assume that selling a simple item would be straightforward, but the reality is far more complex.

Bringing a product to market requires immense determination and perseverance. However, our customers' unwavering support fueled the resolve to work even harder and reach as many people as possible. Each time we engaged in face-to-face sales, something extraordinary would happen. Return customers would approach us, sharing how Ambrosia Bags had transformed their lives. They would even stop passersby to spread the word about Ambrosia. Witnessing people offer genuine testimonials about something I created is an indescribable feeling. These heartfelt interactions reinforced Ambrosia's value and its positive impact on people's lives.

Our experiences have taught us that true business success isn't just about sales figures or profit margins. It's about creating something that resonates with people on a personal level and improves their quality of life. The stories and testimonials from our customers have always been the driving force and reason behind our continued growth and success.

You can learn more about Jan and Ambrosia Produce Bags here. 

Interview and story by @staceylindsay.