All for environmental sustainability: Here's a look at the goodness of Plum & Phy 

The brands Plum & Phy are playing their part in being environmentally sustainable.

The brands have revealed how they truly believe in 'walking the talk' when it comes to being good - not just with customers, but also towards the ecosystem that we derive so much from.

Here's a look at how they're changing things:

Then: Business driving Sustainability

For a long time, how business enterprises innovated and created wealth was the central issue in business history.

There now exists a compelling stream of research which focuses on being purpose-driven. 

When purpose-driven campaigns are done well, brands have the opportunity to not only stand for something they believe in, but also deeply connect with their consumers. 

In the near future, this will become an increasingly important method to build a business at a time when people are increasingly choosing brands that align with their values.

A survey of more than 1,200 consumers conducted by Cox Business in October 2018, found that 71 per cent of the respondents would spend more money at a business if it supported a social cause — as long as it’s positive or environmental. 

This implied that business could no longer regard the environment as a limitless pool of natural capital that could be drawn down upon without liability. They have to think about the future generation.  

Now: Sustainability driving the Business

A few years ago, Environmental Sustainability was once the concern only to some niche groups within society. But now the tables have turned. 

Consumers started investing their time, money and attention in brands that showed genuine commitment towards important principle which they personally identify with.

Sustainability suddenly emerged as something that was compatible with profits and something that could enhance value. 

It became imperative for every organisation to live with a duty towards society and its consumers.

In this era of radical transparency, consumers can quickly spot if companies are really delivering on their promises or not.

Hence, organisations were now more convinced than ever that companies can do themselves good through doing the right for society at large and the environment. 

The way of Plum 
Have you ever thought what happens to your face wash or moisturiser tube, once you discard it?

What if we say that this tube is left for 500 years to get decomposed and potentially leak pollutants into soil and water.

As per the Zero Waste report, more than 120 billion units of packaging are produced in the global cosmetics industry annually.

Getting into a new beauty product is itself a task. First, you've got to tackle the layers of cardboard, cello-tape, tissue paper and boxes until you reach the end goal: A plastic container housing the product you've been waiting for. 

Undoubtedly, packaging plays a huge part in the allure of a beauty product.

However, there's a darker side to all this packaging. We simply can't ignore the impact it's having on our environment. 

Inspired by the goodness of nature, and driven by the desire to be good & do good; Plum is all about bringing goodness to the world off beauty.

The PETA-certified brand is constantly striving to spread their goodness not only to the consumers and animals but to the environment too. 

The concept of the brand Plum combines science with sustainability.

It is conscious of the ecological footprint of their business. Plum uses only recyclable packaging avoiding the use of PVC, ABS AND SAN. 

Overpackaging is not encouraged and constantly looks for ways to reduce the use of packaging.

Plum is careful about the claims they make and do not do anything they cannot substantiate.  

With bearing the title of India's first 100% vegan beauty brand, follows the responsibility of sustainable beauty.

When 70% of the waste from the beauty industry is from packaging, the skincare should not be restricted to an individual's needs. 

A mindful and conscious skincare will not be good to your skin but to our environment too, and this is what Plum truly believes in.

The goodness of Plum products does not end with the consumer's use but is ongoing even after its discarded.

Below are some of the industry figures for your quick reference: 

1. Serving 100,000 customers per month across channels.
3. SKU range has doubled in the last 4 years.
4. The business was bootstrapped and recently backed by Unilever Ventures.
5. Products available on Nykaa, PlumGoodness.com and across all the major cosmetic stores.
6. Bagged both Nykaa-Femina Award and Cosmopolitan Beauty Award in 2019 for its products.

A handful of facts
1. The male grooming market has been picking up a fair bit of steam in the last couple of years. A recent report by market research agency, Mintel, endorses this trend.

The report says that the average Indian man spends 42 minutes a day on grooming himself. 

2. Indian men spend almost the same amount of time as women in researching grooming products, according to Mintel.

The research revealed that 44% men spend time researching ingredients in grooming products, almost similar to the number of women.   

3. With an estimated CAGR of 45% in the next three years, the men’s grooming market is all set to take the beauty and grooming industry by storm.

The story of Phy 
After conquering the women’s beauty industry, Phy now wants to pass this baton of goodness to the men’s universe.

And it’s this mission that has inspired a new venture in space untouched by such goodness today. 

The company's CEO & Co-Founder, Shankar Prasad noticed that there is a gap for a smart, conscientious, science-backed grooming brand for the thinking modern Indian man. 

With this thought of extending the 'goodness philosophy', and expertise, Pure Play Sciences (mother brand) has launched India’s foremost dermatologically-tested, 100% vegan specialist grooming range for men – Phy!   

The Phy products are scientifically designed & tested, with no harmful chemicals or animal ingredients, with proven plant-actives that are specially formulated to meet the modern thinking man’s grooming and self-care needs.

The perfect blend of plant-sourced actives and safe science our products are tailored to specific skin and hair concerns.

Free from phthalates, sulphate, silicone and any harmful chemicals and dermatologically-tested for safety, our products range across:

• Skin Care
• Body & Bath 
• Hair Care
• Beard Care

And when we say good, we mean it. Phy believes in using “good science” & proven natural actives to make effective products that work for you.

We are PETA approved, cruelty-free & Vegan, and a member of the global 1% for the Planet community. Our passion to get it right, every single time, is what makes us, us. 

Key contributions to sustainability 

• When it comes to giving back to society, they contribute a part of their sales to an international non-governmental organisation - World Wide Fund (WWF) to reduce the human impact on the environment.
• Under the #Empties4Good campaign, they arrange to pick up empty Plum containers from the consumers and for every Plum plastic container, they reward them with INR 50 which they can redeem from the Plum website. 
• Certified by PETA, the products are vegan & cruelty-free.
• It is made minus the harmful chemicals like Sulphates and Parabens, making the products skin-friendly. 
• It donates a percentage of its annual profits to 1% for the Planet initiative. 
• Transparency in terms of 'No false bottom' is another aspect which resonates with the brand's philosophy. They do not believe in unnecessary packaging to make the product look more visually appealing than useful. 
• The latest development on the brand.

Pureplay Skin Sciences has raised an undisclosed amount by Unilever Ventures to further accelerate its growth in India’s burgeoning beauty and skincare market.

This investment by Unilever Ventures will help the company scale up its operations both in the online and offline spaces and is in line with its vision to transform the way India looks at skincare and beauty products.

According to Prasad, his mantra is "Be good. Be considerate. And think of those less fortunate than you - and that's not just other human beings. We're destroying entire ecosystems around us."

"Every choice we make is chipping away at something that's voiceless and helpless. Let's think just a little bit more about the choices we make".