Beauty has never been so green.

<< Background >>The desire to bring this project to life arose from several factors linked to the environment, fight against climate change and the need for our society to strengthen Green skills - the knowledge that we need to develop in order to live in a sustainable environment. We wanted to create learning opportunities among citizens and generations, thus improving the availability of high quality, flexible and recognised learning for adults to address and act upon several factors that are having a negative impact on our environment and society in general. Given the huge impact that the cosmetic sector has on the environment, we also believed it was essential that professionals operating in this sector and consumers are aware of their market choices so that they can increasingly move towards sustainable products, with natural and cruelty-free ingredients.<< Objectives >>The “Beauty has never been so Green” Project promoted environmental sustainability in the hair and beauty industries, by rolling out ad-hoc activities revolving around research, training and awareness-raising addressed to both Small and Medium Beauty Business Owners and consumers. The main goal of the Be-Green Project was to promote environmental sustainability in the hair and beauty industries in the project partner countries. The demand for sustainable and clean beauty is at an all-time high. Led by Gen Z and Millennials, this is the new norm of the beauty industry. There is no place for synthetic, artificial, and exploitation anymore. Instead, we are seeing a surge of demand for vegan, organic, ethical, sustainable, and clean products and practices. Hence, the goal was to spread awareness and to emphasize how it is possible to adopt a sustainable beauty routine and lifestyle.Another key goal of the project was to educate people working in the beauty industry, customers and generally anyone interested in a sustainable lifestyle. Through transparency and product education we aimed to help more customers transition towards eco-conscious solutions. << Implementation >>The project “Beauty has never been so Green” implemented a series of impactful activities aimed at promoting sustainability in the beauty sector. It began with the elaboration and administration of two questionnaires targeting beauty professionals and consumers to assess awareness, barriers, and opportunities related to green practices. Based on this research, a comprehensive training toolbox was developed, including videos, articles, guidelines, and product samples. Trainees were recruited in Malta and Portugal and participated in a blended training course covering sustainable products, eco-design, energy efficiency, and consumer engagement. The partners furthermore developed the BE-GREEN recognition label, to be awarded to salons certifying their commitment to environmentally friendly practices. To ensure visibility and continuity, dedicated project webpages and social media content were launched. Finally, the partners participated in two public in Malta and Portugal, showcasing green products, sharing project outcomes, and fostering dialogue between producers, professionals, and the wider public.<< Results >>As previously planned, through this project we successfully increased knowledge and understanding of the environmental impact of beauty products and the benefits of ecological transition in beauty salon businesses. Concrete outputs include a research report based on data collected from over 580 professionals and consumers, and a multilingual training toolbox featuring educational materials, videos, and practical guidelines tailored to the sector’s needs. We trained 59 professionals in Malta and Portugal, several of whom have already begun implementing sustainable practices. We developed the BE-GREEN recognition label, to be awarded to salons committed to eco-friendly operations, and created a project webpage and active social media presence to ensure ongoing visibility and engagement. Partners moreover participated in two successful fairs bringing together over 1000 participants, including green product producers, salon professionals, and the wider community. We also established a growing network of eco-conscious professionals, salons and suppliers, laying the foundation for long-term impact and replication across Europe.