The global beauty industry generates an estimated 129 billion plastic packages every year — most of which are too small, mixed, or complex to be recycled. As eco-anxiety rises and consumers demand more responsibility from brands, one climate-conscious company is challenging the status quo: Saie Beauty, founded by Laney Crowell.

On November 12th, I sat down with Laney to explore how Saie is redefining clean beauty through regenerative thinking, transparent storytelling, and measurable climate action. What emerged is a powerful example of how business can be redesigned to support people, planet, and long-term wellbeing.

? Listen to the Full Conversation: Beauty as Activism: Laney Crowell on Saie’s Climate Initiative

You’ll find the full transcript, video, and related resources there as well.

Below is a reflective look at some of the themes we discussed.

The Beauty Industry’s Plastic Crisis — And Why It Matters

Beauty packaging is one of the biggest contributors to consumer waste. Even products labeled “recyclable” often never make it through municipal recycling systems due to their size or materials.

Common barriers include:

• Small components (pumps, caps, wands) that fall through sorting screens
• Multi-material packaging that cannot be separated
• Colored plastics that are difficult to repurpose
• Contaminants like residual product

This leads to billions of units ending up in landfills, oceans, waterways, and incinerators each year.

For Laney Crowell, this was a call to action rather than resignation. Instead of accepting the industry’s wasteful standard, she started building a company committed to reducing harm, removing plastic, and improving systems — not just selling products.

From Clean Beauty to Climate-Conscious Beauty

Saie launched as a clean beauty brand, but its mission extends far beyond “non-toxic” ingredients.

Laney describes Saie’s original vision as “a no-compromise beauty experience that was luxurious, high-performance, and aligned with my values.” That meant:

• Eliminating PFAS and silicones
• Using skin-nourishing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, jojoba esters, and licorice root
• Rejecting over 2,000 harmful or environmentally persistent ingredients
• Designing products for sensitive skin, aging skin, and everyday use

But in recent years, the brand evolved into something much bigger: a climate-conscious company built around measurable environmental goals.

Inside the Saie Climate Initiative

Saie’s climate strategy revolves around three pillars that guide all decision-making across product development, packaging, and corporate operations.

1. Net Zero Carbon by 2039

Saie became the first beauty brand to sign The Climate Pledge, a commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions a decade ahead of the Paris Agreement timeline.

They also hired a dedicated Head of Sustainability and Impact — a position many beauty brands still lack.

2. Removal of 5 Million Pounds of Plastic

Through a partnership with rePurpose Global, Saie funds community-based plastic removal programs around the world. These projects create local jobs (primarily for women), improve waste infrastructure, and prevent plastic from entering waterways.

The company has already removed millions of pounds of plastic — the equivalent of tens of millions of beauty product containers.

3. All-Female Biodiversity & Governance Board

Saie intentionally formed a governance board made up entirely of women with expertise in biodiversity, sustainability, and climate science. This board advises the brand, holds it accountable, and ensures progress is transparent and trackable.

The Saie Way: A New Standard for Transparency

Consumers don’t just want sustainable products — they want proof.

Saie’s approach to transparency is unique: the brand documents its sustainability work through a short-form docuseries called The Saie Way.

Episodes bring viewers directly into:

• Compostable packaging production
• Renewable-energy-powered manufacturing sites
• Plastic removal work in Colombia and elsewhere
• Conversations with scientists, waste workers, and community leaders
• Biodiversity protection efforts, including whale sanctuaries

For consumers, this series answers the growing demand for authenticity. For the brand, it serves as a visual audit trail — a living record of their commitments.

Why Beauty Packaging Remains the Industry’s Biggest Challenge

Despite progress, packaging continues to be the hardest sustainability problem to solve in the beauty sector.

Laney was candid about the barriers:

• Refill programs have low adoption
• Glass is more sustainable but heavier to ship
• High-PCR plastic still contains plastic
• Consumers prefer full-size packaging over minimalist refills
• Recycling systems vary drastically across regions

To address this, Saie is focusing on:

• Glass and aluminum components wherever possible
• Partnerships with Pact Collective to recycle hard-to-recycle parts
• Large-scale consumer education campaigns launching in 2026
• Advocating for industry-wide system changes, not just brand-level solutions

No single solution will fix packaging — but education, accountability, and collaborative action can dramatically move the needle.

High-Performance Makeup That Supports Skin Health

One of Saie’s biggest differentiators is its ability to create deeply nourishing formulas without relying on silicones or conventional synthetics.

This is especially transformative for:

• Mature or aging skin
• Sensitive or reactive skin
• Consumers seeking “makeup that behaves like skincare”

The Baked Collection exemplifies this approach, using an artisanal Italian baking process that infuses moisture into lightweight powders — creating a natural, skin-like finish.

Laney said it best:
“I want skin to look like skin. That’s a regenerative philosophy on its own.”

Regeneration, Biodiversity, and a Vision for “Planet Beautiful”

When asked to imagine a regenerative future, Laney described memories of snorkeling in oceans full of color and coral — ecosystems that are rapidly vanishing today.

Yet she remains hopeful.

Across the world, kelp forests, whale populations, and marine habitats are recovering thanks to coordinated conservation efforts. Saie’s impact work in Colombia reflects this global movement toward ecological restoration.

Beauty cannot fix the climate crisis alone — but it can help shift culture, influence consumers, and fund biodiversity protection.

What Consumers Can Do Right Now

Laney shared a message that resonated deeply:

We are not powerless. Our choices matter.

You can start here:

• Choose climate-conscious brands
• Return empties to Pact bins at Sephora
• Support companies with transparent reporting
• Reduce single-use plastics where possible
• Talk openly about sustainability with friends, family, and community

Individual action isn’t the whole solution — but it builds momentum and drives systemic change.