Mary Kay, founded in 1963, is a global beauty company with annual sales exceeding $3.5 billion and operations spanning over 35 countries and regions. The brand entered the Chinese market in 1995 and later upgraded its Asia-Pacific production center in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, in 2006. This facility is the only overseas production site outside the United States, highlighting Mary Kay’s commitment to global expansion and quality control.
In 2007, Mary Kay's headquarters in Dallas began using environmentally friendly biodegradable biomaterials as fillers. Inspired by this initiative, Mary Kay China started exploring similar materials. However, the high cost of these eco-friendly options—typically reserved for protecting delicate items like antiques—posed a significant challenge. At the time, few domestic suppliers could provide suitable biodegradable fillers for cosmetics, making green procurement a major hurdle.
To address this, Mary Kay focused on improving its supply chain management and green procurement practices. By integrating sustainable materials into their operations, the company aimed to enhance its long-term development and foster stronger relationships with stakeholders. This shift became a key part of Mary Kay’s innovation strategy.
One of the most notable achievements was the first application of degradable packaging in the cosmetics industry. After six months of research and visiting over 20 suppliers, Mary Kay finally partnered with a leading Chinese environmental technology firm, Huali Environmental Technology, which was the only provider of biodegradable materials at the time.
Previously, Huali’s foam cushion particles were mainly exported. No domestic supplier had produced fully suitable filler materials for cosmetics. To overcome this, Mary Kay’s purchasing and logistics teams collaborated with Huali to develop an overall transformation plan for the filler production equipment. A specialized foaming machine was created to produce material masterbatch in shapes ideal for Mary Kay’s order boxes, while keeping the cost per cubic meter comparable to traditional plastics.
This partnership marked a breakthrough in the use of biodegradable materials within the cosmetics and fast-moving consumer goods industries. According to Mai Yufu, President of Mary Kay China, the new filler significantly reduced product damage rates by over 50% compared to polystyrene foam and paper fillers. This improvement translated to an estimated annual retail value of 1.5 million yuan. Additionally, the reduction in product damage led to fewer returns and complaints, boosting customer satisfaction from 97% to 99% in 2013.
Traditional fillers, such as polystyrene foam, are derived from petroleum-based plastics, whereas Mary Kay’s biodegradable materials are made from waste generated during corn starch processing. These materials are completely biodegradable and can be turned into compost that benefits crop growth. Since September 2010, Mary Kay has used approximately 18,560 tons of this eco-friendly material, reducing carbon emissions by nearly 74,240 tons compared to previous alternatives.
Mai Yufu noted that the project not only supported Mary Kay’s own sustainability goals but also helped Huali Environmental Technology expand into new markets. The success of this collaboration opened up more orders from other industries, demonstrating the growing demand for green solutions.
From a cost perspective, the biodegradable material foaming equipment costs only 10% of traditional polystyrene chemical foaming machines. It occupies less space and is suitable for in-plant processing, significantly lowering logistics costs. As e-commerce and express delivery continue to grow, experts believe this material could find applications in various industries beyond cosmetics, further promoting the global shift toward sustainability.
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