World's Largest Beauty Retailer Cuts Plastic 21% by 2030

The world's largest international health and beauty retailer just made a massive commitment to cut plastic waste across its global operations.

AS Watson announced it will reduce virgin plastic in its own-brand packaging by 21% by 2030, using 2022 as its baseline. The company formalized this target through the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Global Commitment 2030, a prestigious initiative that holds businesses accountable for circular economy practices.

The pledge covers four critical areas: product packaging on store shelves, carrier bags handed out at checkout, boxes used for online orders, and single-use plastics in warehouses. These are the spots where AS Watson identified it could create the most meaningful change.

To hit this ambitious goal, the company plans to eliminate unnecessary packaging completely, boost recycled plastic content in what remains, design packaging that's easier to recycle or reuse, and roll out refill stations across its stores worldwide. The strategy focuses on reducing plastic at its source rather than just managing waste after it's created.

"By setting an ambitious 21-percent reduction target for virgin plastic in our own-brand packaging by 2030, we are turning our 185-year legacy of care into clear, measurable actions that cut plastic at source across all our markets," said Sebastien Pivet, AS Watson's Chief Sustainability Officer and QA Director.

The Ripple Effect

AS Watson's decision carries weight far beyond its own operations. As the world's largest player in its category, the company operates thousands of stores across 28 markets, meaning this single commitment will prevent millions of pounds of new plastic from entering the waste stream.

When industry giants make bold moves like this, they often inspire competitors to follow suit and prove to smaller retailers that ambitious sustainability targets are achievable. The company's focus on refill and reuse systems could also reshape customer expectations about how beauty and health products should be packaged and sold.

By partnering with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, AS Watson subjected itself to transparent reporting and accountability that other retailers can learn from.

This isn't just a corporate announcement; it's a blueprint showing that even massive global operations can meaningfully shrink their environmental footprint when they commit to specific, measurable targets.