Sustainable perfume myths and the future of fragrance

Sustainable perfume myths: the future of fragrance

Can fine fragrance be sustainable? It’s a hot-button topic, and for good reason. When it comes to the clothes we buy, the food we consume, and the brands we support, we expect transparency and ethical practices – and our favourite fragrances are no exception.

Here, we break down some of the myths behind sustainable fragrances – and explain how we do things a little differently here at Floral Street to reduce our environmental impact.

Is Floral Street a sustainable fragrance brand? And can any fragrance be sustainable?

It’s tricky – truly, nothing can ever be truly sustainable (as everything has an impact, no matter how small), but we can create things more mindfully, with a reduced environmental impact and traceable ingredients.

It’s something we pride ourselves on at Floral Street. Every part of our production, from the seeds of our ingredients though to our packaging, is deeply considered and designed to reduce our impact on the environment.

One great example of this is our brand new perfume mists. We wanted to ensure our 100% recycled plastic bottles were super easy to recycle (and didn’t require trips to different recycling centres!), so the pumps inside are the first in the UK to be fully recyclable and metal-free. You can pop them in your household recycling when they’re empty.

What fragrance ingredients are harmful to the planet or wildlife?

It might be surprising to learn, but many fragrance companies add non-vegan, animal-tested and planet-harming ingredients to their scents.

One ingredient to look out for is phthalates, a group of chemicals that are used across a variety of industries, including fragrance. Some brands use phthalates to increase the sillage or wear of a fragrance – but they’re incredibly harsh to our environment and can contaminate our waterways. (Of course, at Floral Street, our fragrances are always phthalates-free!)

Some perfume brands also use animal-derived ingredients (like musks or ambergris), but in this day and age, there really is no need. Floral Street only uses vegan, cruelty-free and lab-created versions of musks and ambroxan that mimic their warm, earthy scents, all without causing unnecessary harm.

What fragrance ingredients are better for the planet?

Choosing certified vegan and cruelty-free fragrance is a good place to start, oftentimes marked by accreditation logos. Look out for perfumes made with traceable, ethically-sourced and naturally-derived ingredients – though as mentioned, lab-created accords are a great replacement for ingredients usually derived from animals (like Sunflower Pop’s vegan honey accord, for example). We work with perfume house Robertet who are world-renowned for sourcing responsibly-sourced ingredients and ensuring ethical practices from every supplier.

Is perfume packaging recyclable?

Sadly, not always. Floral Street founder Michelle Feeney was tired of seeing every perfume bottle in every shop wrapped in unrecyclable cellophane. It became a key part of our brand packaging manifesto – we’d never use it, and still haven’t. We wrap our recyclable glass bottle fragrances in recycled, recyclable and compostable packaging, and only use vegetable-based dyes and inks.

What’s the future of sustainable fragrance? 

As production methods improve and more customers become aware of the environmental impact everyday items can have, we truly hope that more brands discover there are better alternatives to animal-derived and damaging ingredients.

At Floral Street, we’re continuing to seek out innovative and waste-free ingredients and practices, and developing more game-changing packaging that can bring luxurious, long-lasting fine fragrance to your door, all without harming our planet. Watch this space.