Briony Kennedy is an advocate of women living better and looking after themselves and as the Director and Founder of Adorn Mineral Cosmetics she is also a fan of the environment:
“I don’t think there isn’t a mum on the planet that doesn’t reassess how they live once their kids come along and that was certainly the case for us once our twins Jackson and Bentley arrived (now 2 ½ ).
Despite being a makeup artist and salon owner for over 10 years and being one for all things natural, I found that having kids really did make me look more closely at how we impact the environment. As I started working on the cosmetic range at the same time the boys were born, it helped me really shape what I wanted the brand to represent.”
“I had been having difficulty finding a cosmetic range that took a real sustainable approach to how it manufactured, packaged and disposed of its products in addition to helping women who suffered from skin sensitivities while delivering great beauty results. There was no one solution that ticked all the boxes for me.
I knew that other brands claimed they were natural or organic but didn’t really take a stand on sustainability or take responsibility for the impacts of their products on the environment. Fortunately a wonderful friend, who is also an environmental consultant, brought me to the attention of a commercial recycler just outside Melbourne. As a result we have now instituted a return and recycle program for all our packaging. We encourage our customers to return their empty cosmetic containers to us and we forward them on to be recycled into fence posts used in agriculture. We love this, as it is not only helping our farmers become more environmentally sound but we are also saving trees by using a recycled product.”
“Our customers love the idea too. It gives them an end result for their efforts, something we think more manufacturers should be doing. Rather than leave it up to the disparate recycling processes of different states and territories, we are taking action and giving our customers a clear outcome.
At home our efforts are simple and achievable for anyone living in suburbia. Again the moment you make it hard then the less likely you are of success. Then once you have established new habits, you can look to integrate more changes at home. You can begin with this simple list:
* energy saving light bulbs
* recycling food scraps – composting
* purchase food listed in The Guide to Ethical Supermarket Shopping and where possible buy Australian made
* recycle all plastics, paper etc
* use only wheat pulp paperless paper for printing if you must
* walk where possible
* buy fair trade, organic, vegan and choose cruelty free products
* use wash powders, dish liquids and cleaning agents that are non-toxic, phosphate, bleach and petrochemical free
* send all unwanted clothing to charity
A great book that I often refer to and is also a great read is Green is Good by Rebecca Blackburn. Lots of fabulous tips, advice and plenty to think about in terms of how you choose to leave the planet!”
Visit Adorn Mineral Cosmetics: www.adornmineralcosmetics.com.au
Beauty and Lace is an online magazine for women. We hope you enjoyed this article!