Sustainability & Reconciliation: Operating with a Sense of Kindness {To Our Planet}

Over the last few years, the concept of sustainability has evolved from a marketing message to a business model necessity — one that embraces a holistic approach to sustainability and allows organizations to make a stronger and larger impact (for example, DEI councils, greener supply chains, recyclable packaging etc.)

It’s been reported that “79% of customers are changing purchase preferences based on products’ social or environmental impact.”. The starting point for Prose was to resolve two bugs of the beauty industry:

• the waste generated by overproduction (we estimate that around 50% of the global production is never used and ends up in a landfill),
• the consumer segmentation that is irrelevant for customers today (think — shampoo for blonde hair, conditioner for normal hair etc.)

Since day one at Prose, myself and the team have been committed to ensuring our operations work in favor of our planet (and all people). Our ongoing goal is to give back more than we take — to make a positive impact on our customers, suppliers and the earth itself. We have built Prose around the concept of reconciliation: to create a better experience for our customers and a more sustainable model for our planet; ultimately offering a more inclusive and brighter future for the industry.

Being a truly sustainable company is an ongoing commitment and we hope to continue to evolve our efforts as we grow and expand our footprint. The first step in our journey was to become a Certified B Corporation, which we achieved in September 2019. One of our immediate actions as a B Corporation was developing a methodical plan to make thoughtful improvements and evolve our business practices to be truly sustainable.

As we join our community in celebrating the 51st anniversary of Earth Day, we are also celebrating a major milestone internally — Prose is officially the first and only carbon and neutral custom beauty brand since inception! Becoming Carbon Neutral was a key goal in our plan and I’m thrilled to announce we’ve officially achieved it.

Although, the concept of sustainability at Prose goes beyond our carbon neutral operations. We are dedicated to being a mission-driven brand who applies ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) principles into every facet of the business. This is how we’re ensuring we remain authentic, truthful and thoughtful about doing right by our planet.

With this year’s Earth Day focused around the theme “Restore Our Earth™,” I think about how the concept of customization goes hand in hand with sustainability. As a company whose business model naturally promotes sustainability, I am incredibly proud of the additional innovations and decisions we have made to help rehabilitate our planet.

• Applied Automated Manufacturing: last year we became one of the pioneers in scaling “made-to-order.” Our innovative operating model is not only proving customization can be scalable but it’s also proving that it’s better for the planet. Traditionally, millions of products are produced to fill shelf space and those not sold end up being thrown away, leaving the industry with a waste rate of 20–40%. By producing products after the transaction has been received, Prose’s total waste is close to zero percent.
• Offset Emissions Since Inception: after conducting a 360-degree assessment on our carbon footprint, we developed a dual approach to become carbon neutral; reduce our overall carbon emissions and offset the rest. To offset, Prose made donations to organizations and projects including, Medford Springs Avoided Conversion, Dempsey Ridge Wind, Laurelbrook Dairy Compost Project, and Capricorn Ridge Wind. Our strong belief in urban manufacturing fueled our decision to localize our supplier network and drastically shorten the transport of our raw materials (i.e. ingredients).
• Reduce Carbon In Our Products: last year we cut the amount of carbon it takes to produce one Prose product by 15–20% — a massive milestone for our Operations team.
• Using Ingredients Only You Need: we have over 165 ingredients that we use to make each and every custom formula. Our ingredients are ethically sourced from all over the world and from trusted suppliers who have proven track records for fair payment and labor practices. As all of our products are truly custom, a customer’s formula will only include ingredients they need to effectively target their unique hair and scalp needs. This allows for a strategic approach to ingredients and ultimately saves waste throughout our entire supply chain.
• Our Internal “Sustainability Task Force”: we have formed a cross-functional task force to help oversee our sustainability initiatives; employees across R&D, Operations, Brand Marketing, Finance and more. The work these teams have achieved together in only a couple of years is quite remarkable and I can’t wait to see what they do next.

The possibilities for where Prose can go in terms of its sustainability mission are endless. I’d like to call on other CEOs and executives across the beauty industry to reevaluate their business models to prioritize the importance of sustainable operations. We’re on the right path but we all need to and can do more. Together, our community can make a huge difference and help “Restore Our Earth™.”