Brooklyn, New York, April 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In line with Earth Day 2022’s challenge to “Invest in Our Planet,” amika, the Brooklyn-based hair-care brand, is proud to announce that it is officially Climate Neutral Certified. amika joins the growing movement of brands achieving the Climate Neutral Certified standard by measuring its 2021 greenhouse gas emissions, purchasing eligible verified carbon credits to offset that footprint, and implementing plans to reduce emissions next year and beyond.
Climate Neutral Certified is the leading consumer label for climate neutrality. It is carried by brands that have chosen to be accountable for the greenhouse gas emissions generated in the production, operations, and shipping of their goods and services.
“amika is on a mission to be a friend to hair, hair stylists, the planet, and our communities. This promise guides our daily decisions, and we are committed to progressing the beauty industry to have a positive impact. Our sustainability strategy is anchored by our ultimate milestone of Net Zero by 2030. We believe Net Zero is the best way we can tackle climate change, and what we do in the next decade to limit emissions will be critical to the future,” shares Chelsea Riggs, amika's Brand President. “By becoming Climate Neutral, we have committed to remove 5,113 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by supporting organizations such as Tribal Renewable Energy, Agrocortex REDD Project, and through reduction plans.”
Climate Neutral’s certification builds on internationally recognized standards for carbon measurement and neutrality. All certified brands must measure cradle-to-customer greenhouse gas emissions each year to maintain certification. Then a brand must buy eligible verified carbon credits to compensate for all of their emissions, directing investment into critical projects that remove and avoid emissions from energy, industry, and natural systems. Finally, brands must commit to reduction action plans to cut future emissions within a 12-24 month timeline, reporting progress on those plans annually. All of the brand’s certification data is publicly available on Climate Neutral’s website, and the process is repeated annually when companies must recertify.
“Climate Neutral Certified companies show the world that immediate action on climate change is possible and essential,” says Austin Whitman, CEO of Climate Neutral. “In just three years, the growing number of Climate Neutral Certified brands has built a powerful movement that gives companies and consumers meaningful ways to act on climate, right now. The newly certified brands joining us – as well as current brands achieving recertification – are leading the way by recognizing that climate change must be solved. They believe that all companies should take immediate voluntary action to address their carbon emissions, and they are engaging their consumers around this important issue like never before.”
amika joins the increasing ranks of companies treating carbon emissions like their business. Together, Climate Neutral Certified brands are making an impact on climate action right now, working to eliminate more than 1,000,000 tonnes of carbon emissions this year.
“We must acknowledge that there is an inherent contradiction between the current beauty industry that thrives off consumption and the concept of sustainability. The beauty industry contributes not only a large percentage of waste, but carbon emissions and depletion of natural resources. There are so many areas to tackle and consider, it can be overwhelming” says Riggs. “When considering sustainability and climate impact, we’ve divided our roadmap towards Net Zero into three areas: energy & resources, packaging & waste, carbon. Every decision we make in each of these areas will impact our ability to reach our ultimate goal.”
amika has established additional initiatives in its commitment to environmental responsibility. In Fall 2020, the brand launched a free, national recycling program for its haircare packaging in partnership with TerraCycle®, the international recycling leader. TerraCycle is an innovative waste management company with a mission to eliminate the idea of waste–disposing of the brand’s packaging in an environmentally-conscious way. Additionally, amika’s plastic bottles use 90% post-consumer recycled plastics, which not only will reduce the amount of virgin plastic introduced into the ecosystem, but also consumes far fewer fossil fuels than a virgin plastic bottle.
In April 2022, the brand launched refill pouches of its best-selling shampoos and conditioners, allowing consumers to easily refill their existing shampoo + conditioner bottles. These new pouches will work to lower carbon emissions by 98.4%, compared to traditional, virgin plastic bottles (when used for 1 year, compared to the brand's traditional HDPE packaging).
Additional sustainability initiatives from amika will be announced throughout 2022.
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ABOUT CLIMATE NEUTRAL
Climate Neutral is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working with brands and consumers to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions. Our label, Climate Neutral Certified, is a trusted, independent standard for climate neutrality. It is earned by brands who measure, offset, and reduce the emissions from making and delivering products and services to customers. Our goal is to motivate consumers to get more brands to take immediate and measurable action against the climate crisis. To learn more, visit climateneutral.org.
Learn more about Climate Neutral and browse all of the certified brands at climateneutral.org.
ABOUT AMIKA
A friend to hair, hairstylists, to her, him, them and you. The name amika means friend in the language Esperanto & represents our belief in the power of community and the beauty of diversity. Straight out of Brooklyn, where creativity and hustle are a way of life, we’re a collective of creatives, hairstylists, chemists, and product enthusiasts. We only make products that make us proud. 10 collections for every hair type, texture and style. Visit loveamika.com for more information, and follow @amika on Instagram.
