Circular Economy in the Cosmetic Sector: Insights from Selected Italian Companies

The cosmetic industry is increasingly involved in the search for sustainable solutions, also comprehending practices in compliance with the Circular Economy (CE) paradigm. The implementation of CE in the sector has been recently investigated in the literature, also giving attention to sustainability dimensions. However, there is still a lack of empirical evidence allowing a deeper understanding of the phenomenon and its link with sustain- ability. This study, therefore, aims to provide insights into how a selected sample of Italian cosmetic companies perceive, implement, assess and communicate CE. Pursuing this aim, a survey was administered to a target population of companies member of “Cosmetica Italia” Association, because of their declared commitment to sustainability. The final se- lected sample of Italian companies includes 47 respondents. A qualitative thematic analy- sis was carried out using the NVivo software. Results show that respondents perceive CE and sustainability as interconnected, especially considering the environmental dimension. However, only partial or ongoing implementation of CE emerges, mostly regarding the packaging area. Just over a third of respondents assess CE, mainly using Life Cycle As- sessment, and about half communicate CE, mainly using labels.