The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) has strengthened its commitment to sustainability in travel retail by identifying specific goals to 2025.

ELC’s high-growth travel retail unit, which includes airports, downtown locations, airlines, cruises and border shops, has targeted emissions, waste and energy as key business priorities.

By the end of fiscal 2023, the company aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions for transportation to travel retail customers and for all corporate travel retail worldwide business air travel.

In packaging, plastic film-wrap on travel retail exclusive (TREX) outside cartons will be removed by 2023.

ELC says that by eliminating film-wrapping on TREX packs, travel retail will avoid 54,000 kilograms of plastic waste pollution – the equivalent of 5.4 million 500ml plastic water bottles.

TREX PACKS TO CHANGE

By 2025, all TREX paper cartons will switch to responsibly sourced FSC-certified board.

As of fiscal year 2020, 83% of TREX paper cartons were FSC certified.

In addition, ELC will implement sustainability approaches to travel retail store design and visual merchandising across all brands beginning in fiscal year 2021.

Olivier Bottrie, Global President, Travel Retail and Retail Development, ELC said: “The Estée Lauder Companies and its brands have made great strides to ensure we continue to be a company rooted in values and it is important that we do our part in travel retail to uphold this vision.

“By implementing sustainability goals for travel retail, we are furthering the company’s commitment to the environment and demonstrating to travellers how we are making a positive impact in this space.

“We look forward to continuing the necessary work to lead in this space and sharing our progress with our employees and consumers.”

Nancy Mahon, Senior Vice President, Global Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability, ELC added: “The Estée Lauder Companies’ commitment to citizenship and sustainability reflects our belief that our long-term business success depends on our ability to make conscious decisions to embed sustainable practices across our entire value chain.

“We feel confident that the ambitious steps our travel retail team is taking will not only accelerate progress towards our company’s sustainability goals, but will also make a tangible impact on the travel retail industry, enabling consumers to make more environmental choices.”