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 worldwide. 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 its strategic importance.
In 2007, Mary Kay’s headquarters in Dallas began using environmentally friendly biodegradable biomaterials as fillers, setting a new standard for sustainability. Mary Kay China followed suit, aiming to adopt similar materials. However, the high cost of these eco-friendly options—typically reserved for protecting delicate items like antiques—posed a challenge. Few domestic suppliers could provide suitable materials for cosmetics, making green procurement a significant hurdle.
To address this, Mary Kay focused on enhancing green procurement across its supply chain, aiming to improve sustainability and foster collaboration with stakeholders. This initiative became a key part of their innovation strategy, driving continuous improvement in both procurement and supply chain management.
A major breakthrough came when Mary Kay partnered with Huali Environmental Technology, the only Chinese company producing biodegradable materials. After six months of research and visiting over 20 suppliers, they finally secured a partnership. Previously, Huali’s foam cushion particles were used abroad, but no one had developed a fully suitable filler for cosmetics in China.
Together, Mary Kay’s purchasing and logistics teams worked with Huali for nearly a year to create an overall transformation plan. A specialized foaming machine was developed to produce the material in the right shape for order boxes, matching the cost of traditional plastics. This collaboration marked the first application of foaming buffer particles in the Chinese cosmetics industry, a significant step forward for biodegradable materials.
Mai Yufu, President of Mary Kay China, noted that the new filler reduced product damage by over 50% compared to polystyrene and paper, saving about 1.5 million yuan annually. It also led to fewer returns and complaints, boosting customer satisfaction from 97% to 99% in 2013.
Traditional fillers like polystyrene foam are made from petroleum-based plastics, while Mary Kay’s biodegradable materials are derived from corn starch waste. These materials fully decompose after use, turning into compost that benefits agriculture. Since 2010, Mary Kay has used around 18,560 tons of this material, reducing carbon emissions by nearly 74,240 tons.
The project not only supports Mary Kay’s sustainability goals but also created new opportunities for Huali Environmental Technology, opening up new markets and attracting orders from other industries. The widespread adoption of biodegradable materials in cosmetics and plastics could drive broader industry transformation.
Additionally, the biodegradable foaming equipment costs only 10% of traditional polystyrene machines, occupies less space, and is ideal for in-plant processing, significantly cutting logistics costs. With the growth of e-commerce and express delivery, this material shows great potential for future applications across various sectors.
Landscape Artificial Grass
Landscape Artificial Grass,Fake Green Grass,Grass Floor,Flat Roof Artificial Grass
Changshu Keyuan Eco-friendly New Materials Co.,Ltd , https://www.ailiqingky.com