Harmony: Turning the tide of beauty waste packaging
Harmony: Turning the tide of beauty waste packaging
Secured the 3rd Place in the 2024 Student Service Design Challenge (ISDIN Category) with our concept, 'Harmony.' Harmony is a service that promotes circularity in beauty products by combining refilling and recycling using AI for personalization.
Secured the 3rd Place in the 2024 Student Service Design Challenge (ISDIN Category) with our concept, 'Harmony.' Harmony is a service that promotes circularity in beauty products by combining refilling and recycling using AI for personalization.
Overview
PROJECT DETAILS:
Team Inside Out submission to the Student Service Design Challenge (SSDC 2024) for the ISDIN Category
TEAM DETAILS:
Isha Raghuvanshi, Heena Barhate, Sri Lakshmi, Suvarsha Rai
& Dev Vijh
METHODS USED:
Experience Blueprinting, Qualitative UX Research - Interviews & Surveys, Service Design, UI Design, Usability Testing
RESULT:
Secured 3rd place in the ISDIN Challenge category, competing against over 150 teams and 800 participants.
Problem Space
INTRODUCTION:
Currently, 95% of cosmetic packaging gets thrown away making reducing packaging waste is one of the biggest sustainability challenges facing the beauty industry.out of which only 14% actually makes it to a recycling plant where only 9% is recycled and the rest heads directly to landfill highlighting that recycling alone is not a viable solution to curb the waste. In this way, it will take 450 years for this waste to breakdown as majority of packaging is composed of single use plastics.
Despite an increased focus on sustainability, the health, beauty and skincare industries are not doing enough to address waste, say critics. Just as in apparel, waste is often built into the business models. However, most work to eliminate waste has so far been connected to packaging while overlooking other sources. Waste is generated not only by packaging but also by formula testers, unsold or returned products and items that expire in pharmaciesand warehouses or on store shelves. Let alone the sheer volume of packaging thrown away by consumers, the users of those products.
PROJECT BRIEF:
To promote circular processes, the ask was to explore packaging within the health, beauty and skincare industry. How can we effectively close the loop on its packaging? Design a service aimed at reducing packaging waste in the health, beauty and skincare industry with the involvement of all stakeholders beyond the producer; from sellers to users, from prescribers to dispensaries, and potentially others as well.
User Research
Through our research we have found 4 key aspects in packaging waste in the skincare and beauty industry Recyclable, Reusable, Refillable, Returnable. In the landscape of sustainability, individual companies aim to achieve their eco-goals while conserving resources and fostering a positive brand image. Consumers, on the other hand, look for convenience, functionality without brand compromise, hygiene in refilling processes, and rewards for eco-conscious behavior. These needs are met through channels/organizations like TerraCycle, Pact Collective, and Close the Loop, along with marketplace and multi-brand retailers who play a key role. Moreover, leveraging social media is pivotal for raising awareness and driving the sustainable actions of consumers.
This is an analysis of different initiatives in terms of the 4Rs by different companies that further helps us understand the need for intersectional strategies.
Key User Archetypes
WHO ARE OUR TARGET AUDIENCE?
User Interviews
WHO DID WE TALK TO?
24 End Consumer Interviews:
The Disenchanted Environmentalist: Investigated the drop-off in sustainable behaviors, probing for systemic and personal barriers
The Skeptic: Examined skepticism about recycling efficacy, seeking insights on evidence-based trust in sustainability efforts.
The Aspiring Green Consumer: Focused on the gap between sustainability aspirations and actionable practices, exploring the need for guidance and accessibility.
1 Collection Company Interviews (Refillery)
Operations Perspective: Explored the logistics of collecting used beauty packaging, identifying operational challenges and optimization opportunities.
Strategic Engagement: Explored strategic partnerships with beauty companies and innovative approaches to encourage consumer participation in recycling.
2 Beauty Company Interviews
Product Lifecycle Management: Aimed to understand the company's role in promoting sustainable practices, from product design to post-consumer recycling initiatives.
Key Themes
UNDERSTANDING THE VOICE OF THE CONSUMERS:
Opportunity
From our research and interviews with different stakeholders, we establish a need for beauty and wellness brands to adopt a mixed model of refillable and recyclable packaging.
Shared Ownership: By implementing a refill and recycle model, ISDIN shares the responsibility of packaging ownership with its customers.The goal is to extend the life of beauty packaging with refillable products and reintegrate this packaging into the production cycle by making it recyclable, thereby closing the loop.
Based on our research findings, we developed an HMW:
Solution Overview
Service Blueprint
Harmony is a service designed to promote a circular economy in beauty packaging. By shifting to a mixed model of refill and recycle , the service offers users personalized refillable product options, provides information on refiling instructions and recycling guidelines all the while rewarding them for their sustainable efforts.
Final Designs
01. AI-powered analysis & recommendations
02. Cost Savings through our bundled products
03. Incentives: Love ISDIN points for sustainable choices.
04. Optimize Sustainability - AI-Driven Insights from Real-Time Data
Learnings
The Student Service Design Challenge highlighted the value of diverse perspectives, showing us how collaboration and leveraging each member’s unique skills lead to more innovative and effective solutions.
The challenge deepened our commitment to sustainability, demonstrating that teamwork, communication, and resilience are crucial in designing impactful solutions for real-world problems.
I'm always happy to discuss this project and my approach in more detail.
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