Celebrating Earth Day with Emma Lewisham

Today is the day globally marked as Earth Day, a day when we stop and think about how in this moment, we have the power to change so much of what lies ahead — the business climate, the political climate, and how we take action on climate. Earth Day is a day for us to reflect on how we’re all protecting and preserving our planet. This year's theme is Invest In Our Planet and is a call for us all to act boldly, innovate broadly and implement equitably for a more prosperous future. As beauty consumers, it’s a time when we can stop and re-evaluate the brands that we align ourselves with, and literally speak with our wallets.
Which brings me to Emma Lewisham, a brand that from the get go, was striving to bring about real change in the beauty and business landscape on so many levels. Since they launched the first Emma Lewisham Refills in February 2021 under the Emma Lewisham Beauty Circle, they’ve sold over 13,000 refills. Since launching the refills, they have saved 10,295KG of CO2e in total – this is the equivalent to approximately 30.9 litres of Arctic sea ice loss being prevented through reduced carbon emissions. We lose Arctic sea ice at a rate of almost 13 percent per decade, and over the past 30 years, the oldest and thickest ice in the Arctic has declined by a devastating 95 percent. If emissions continue to rise unchecked, the Arctic could be ice-free in the summer by 2040 – yes, in our lifetimes.

Each month Emma Lewisham customers are helping the company save over 1,000KG (a tonne) of CO2e by engaging in the Emma Lewisham Beauty Circle and opting for Emma Lewisham Refills over brand new original vessels. What’s heartening to see is that their Refill business is fast-growing, which reinforces that fact that consumers want this option for efficacious, scientifically validated, natural products. The brand’s customers' demand for Emma Lewisham Refills has grown from 10 percent to 47 percent in New Zealand over the last six months and 4 percent to 35 percent in Australia. And they are expecting this trend to continue on its promising upwards trajectory.
Founder - and all-round inspiring human - Emma Lewisham says, “Since inception, I was determined to not only set a new benchmark in scientifically proven natural skincare but also in sustainable skincare. Being acutely aware of the impact beauty packaging has on our environment, I was passionate about disrupting the current model and pioneering a path towards circular and carbon positive skincare. We offer refills for all our products, and through our global take-back programme - the Emma Lewisham Beauty Circle - customers can send back their empty vessels, free of charge, to be refilled or recycled. This not only keeps our materials in circulation but reduces our carbon footprint by up to 74 percent. I see business as a tool to tackle problems, find solutions and leave behind something better. To me, this means giving more than we take and using business as a force for good. Profits should never come at an expense to people or the planet and I’m proud to be building a business which proves that sustainability and success can go hand-in-hand.”
All Emma Lewisham products are certified Climate Positive, meaning they sequester more carbon than they emit. To achieve this, the company measured each product's carbon footprint, minimised its inherent emissions as much as possible and then offset our products' carbon emissions by 125 percent. As of February 2022, the brand was also officially B Corp Certified. B Corp is a global community of for-profit leaders pledging to use business as a force for good. B Corp businesses utilise profits and growth as means to impact employees, communities and the environment positively.
If you do nothing else to acknowledge Earth Day, at least treat yourself to something special from a brand that is actively working to bring about change. Emma Lewisham is a great place to start.