The perfume industry, valued at over €58 billion annually, faces a major challenge: its significant carbon emissions. A staggering 95% of these emissions come from raw materials and ingredient production, while blending and packaging contribute far less. Here’s a quick breakdown of the key issues and solutions:
Raw Materials: Natural ingredients often require energy-intensive processes like steam distillation, while synthetic materials rely on fossil fuels like coal and gas.
Ethanol Production: Traditional ethanol, derived from crops like sugarcane, contributes to deforestation and farming emissions. New methods, like carbon-captured ethanol, are emerging but remain resource-intensive.
Packaging: Glass bottles and atomizers add to emissions, though refillable systems and recycled materials are gaining traction.
Efforts to reduce emissions include using by-products for ingredients, developing low-carbon ethanol, and adopting refillable packaging. Brands like Coty and Gucci are leading with innovations like carbon-captured alcohol and sustainable practices. However, challenges persist due to supply chain fragmentation, ingredient inefficiencies, and high infrastructure costs.
Consumers can help by choosing refillable bottles, supporting brands with transparent sourcing, and opting for smaller formats like Scento’s 8ml decants, which reduce waste and energy use.
Main Sources of Carbon Emissions in Perfume Production
Carbon Emissions Breakdown in Perfume Production by Source
To tackle carbon emissions in perfume production, it’s essential to understand where they originate. The environmental impact spans three key areas: sourcing ingredients, producing alcohol, and creating packaging.
Ingredient Sourcing
The process of sourcing ingredients is one of the largest contributors to a perfume’s carbon footprint. For major fragrance companies like Givaudan, around 88% of emissions are categorized as Scope 3, which primarily includes emissions from purchased goods and services.
Natural and synthetic ingredients come with their own environmental challenges. Natural extracts often require energy-intensive methods like steam distillation or solvent extraction. These processes can result in low yields and significant waste. For instance, Orris Butter has a yield of only about 0.35%, while some essential oils can reach up to 20%. In some cases, the waste ratio (E-factor) can exceed a staggering 100,000 to 1.
On the other hand, synthetic ingredients are typically derived from coal, naphtha, or natural gas. Coal-based feedstocks, in particular, are associated with higher emissions. Producing synthetic aroma molecules involves multiple steps, each requiring significant heat energy, often supplied as steam. Decarbonizing steam production is notably more complex and expensive than transitioning to renewable electricity.
These challenges in ingredient sourcing naturally lead to the next major contributor: the production of ethanol.
Alcohol Production and Environmental Effects
Ethanol serves as the carrier for fragrance oils, evaporating upon application. However, traditional ethanol production heavily relies on agricultural crops like sugarcane and sugar beets. This dependency contributes to emissions through farming practices, land use, and even deforestation, particularly in ecologically sensitive regions like Brazil’s Atlantic Forest.
Emerging technologies are making strides in reducing these impacts. For example, in January 2022, Coty Inc. began using ethanol produced via carbon-capture technology from LanzaTech. By April 2023, Gucci introduced "Where My Heart Beats", the first globally available fragrance made entirely with alcohol derived from recycled carbon emissions captured from steel mills.
Despite these advancements, challenges remain. As Martin Mulvihill, Co-founder of Safer Made, points out:
"Because CO2 only has one carbon, getting it to tie together and then reducing it to alcohol is a very uphill process. It’s energy and resource intensive".
Beyond ethanol and ingredients, the environmental impact extends to packaging and distribution.
Packaging and Distribution
Packaging, including glass bottles, atomizers, and other materials, adds significantly to the carbon footprint. Companies are beginning to innovate in this space. For example, in July 2021, L’Oréal unveiled its first cosmetic bottle made from industrial carbon emissions, developed in collaboration with LanzaTech and TotalEnergies - a partnership that began in 2016.
Distribution also plays a role, with emissions stemming from transportation, warehousing, and global shipping logistics. The fragmented nature of the industry, with many small and medium-sized enterprises, complicates the adoption of unified, sustainable logistics practices. Efforts like reverse supply chain strategies, which focus on recycling bottles and atomizers and managing returned goods, are gaining traction but remain inconsistently implemented across the sector.
New Methods for Reducing Carbon Emissions
The perfume industry is embracing cutting-edge technologies to tackle production-related emissions. From transforming industrial waste into perfume-grade alcohol to reimagining bottle designs and sourcing materials more responsibly, these efforts highlight practical ways to reduce the environmental footprint of manufacturing.
Carbon — Captured Alcohol Technology
LanzaTech’s CarbonSmart technology is making waves by converting waste gases from steel mills into high-purity ethanol through fermentation. Coty Inc. adopted this process in January 2022, integrating carbon-captured ethanol into its production. By April 2023, this innovation culminated in the launch of "Gucci Where My Heart Beats", the first globally available fragrance made with 100% alcohol derived from recycled carbon emissions.
Dr. Shimei Fan, Coty’s Chief Scientific and Sustainability Officer, reflected on this achievement:
"Beyond the science, there is something magical in upcycling industrial emissions into alcohol pure enough for use in fine fragrances".
Coty has set an ambitious target to cut its absolute CO₂ emissions by 30% by 2030.
Refillable and Eco — Friendly Packaging
In 2023, Coty patented an in-store refill machine, allowing customers to replenish their empty perfume bottles directly at retail locations. This innovation aligns with their commitment to eliminating single-use components across brands such as Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein.
Responsibly Sourced Fragrance Materials
Efforts to reduce environmental impact extend to ingredient sourcing. Many manufacturers now use by-products from other industries as raw materials. For instance, Orange Essence, a by-product of the juice industry, and Myrcene, derived from wood chips, offer more sustainable alternatives to manually harvested ingredients like Orris Butter. A July 2023 study by L’Oréal and MANE, led by Patricia Martz and Tony Phan, analyzed 27 fragrance ingredients across 14 environmental impact categories, highlighting these lower-impact options.
The industry is also advancing in biotechnology. Fermentation processes using microorganisms are now producing fragrance ingredients like Antillone and Tropicalone, which are less carbon-intensive compared to traditional chemical synthesis.
These innovations are paving the way for more sustainable production practices, addressing key challenges in the perfume manufacturing process.
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Despite advancements, the perfume industry faces significant hurdles in cutting carbon emissions, largely due to the intricate nature of formulations and the fragmented nature of global supply chains. These issues highlight the need to delve deeper into ingredient sourcing and supply chain operations.
Natural vs. Synthetic Ingredients
Using natural extracts like cis-3 — Hexenol or orange essence often results in substantial waste. For instance, mint leaves yield only about 0.001%, and orange essence provides just 0.01% of extract, while synthetic methods can achieve yields of approximately 42%. This stark contrast underscores the efficiency gap between natural and synthetic production.
Anne Dussourt, a perfumer at Symrise, sheds light on the multifaceted challenges:
"We face a challenge on several levels: fragrances have to continue to smell as good as they did before, work in applications, comply with regulations and be comparable in terms of price."
Musky base notes, essential for creating long-lasting fragrances, are particularly problematic. These ingredients can significantly increase a fragrance’s carbon footprint, which averages around 15 kg CO₂e per 2.2 lbs, with some components exceeding 500 kg CO₂e. Such challenges in ingredient selection are further complicated by inefficiencies in the broader supply chain.
Supply Chain and Production Scale Problems
The fragmented nature of the supply chain poses another major obstacle. Smaller raw material suppliers, who often lack the resources and bargaining power of larger manufacturers, struggle to implement sustainable practices uniformly. This disparity slows progress across the industry.
A staggering 95% of greenhouse gas emissions tied to fragrance production stem from raw materials and upstream processes, rather than the operations of fragrance houses themselves. To address this, BASF and Givaudan launched a joint initiative in September 2025, introducing a portfolio of aroma ingredients designed to lower product carbon footprints. This effort targeted Givaudan’s Scope 3 emissions, which account for 88% of their total footprint, and achieved a 10–15% reduction in product carbon footprint using a mass balance approach.
However, strict confidentiality surrounding fragrance formulas makes comprehensive lifecycle assessments difficult, further complicating sustainability efforts. While switching to renewable electricity is relatively straightforward, other changes, like transitioning from steam heat to biomass or electric boilers, require significant investment and time. These infrastructure upgrades are essential but represent a costly and long-term commitment for the industry.
What’s Next for Lower — Carbon Perfume Manufacturing
The perfume industry is moving toward more sustainable practices by embracing carbon-captured ethanol and renewable feedstocks as alternatives to fossil-based materials. A notable example is Coty Inc., which, in March 2021, began incorporating high-purity ethanol derived from captured emissions into its product range. This initiative supports Coty’s goal of reducing absolute CO₂ emissions by 30% by 2030.
Perfumers now have access to advanced eco-design tools that help them evaluate and reduce carbon impact during the early stages of formulation. In 2023, Symrise reported a 20% reduction in the carbon footprint of products like shampoos and deodorants by replacing high-emission ingredients with more sustainable options. Tools such as MANE’s GREEN MOTION™ and L’Oréal’s SPOT are also instrumental in assessing and improving environmental outcomes.
How Consumers Can Help
While manufacturers are innovating, consumers play a key role in supporting these efforts. Making thoughtful choices - like purchasing refillable bottles, backing brands that prioritize transparent sourcing and carbon-captured ingredients, and opting for concentrated product formats - can significantly reduce packaging waste and drive demand for lower-carbon manufacturing.
Scento aligns with these sustainability efforts by focusing on waste reduction and environmental consciousness. By offering 8ml decants (approximately 0.27 fl oz), Scento allows fragrance enthusiasts to explore new scents without committing to full-sized bottles. This smaller format not only minimizes the need for producing more glass and plastic but also lowers energy consumption, contributing to a more circular economy.
FAQs
What is carbon-captured ethanol, and how does it help reduce emissions in perfume production?
Carbon-captured ethanol is created by fermenting carbon dioxide (CO₂) extracted from industrial emissions. Unlike traditional ethanol, which is derived from crops and demands agricultural land, large quantities of water, and emits fossil fuels during production, this method offers a cleaner alternative.
For perfume makers, switching to carbon-captured ethanol can drastically reduce their environmental impact. By sidestepping the ecological challenges tied to conventional ethanol, this approach marks a forward-thinking move toward greener fragrance production.
How do natural and synthetic perfume ingredients impact carbon emissions?
The journey of creating perfume, whether using natural or synthetic ingredients, carries its own environmental challenges. Natural components like essential oils and botanical extracts originate from farming practices that demand land, water, and energy. For example, cultivating flowers, harvesting woods, or extracting resins can generate notable emissions, particularly when intensive agricultural methods are involved.
On the flip side, synthetic ingredients are predominantly derived from fossil fuels through energy-heavy manufacturing processes. While they ensure consistency and reliable performance in fragrances, their production remains tied to non-renewable resources, which significantly adds to a perfume’s carbon footprint.
The overall environmental impact of a perfume depends on the balance between these two ingredient types. While natural extracts can reduce reliance on fossil fuels, they often come with resource-heavy farming requirements. Synthetics, though efficient in some ways, bring higher energy costs. Finding the right equilibrium between these elements is essential for minimizing emissions in the perfume industry.
How can I reduce the environmental impact of the perfumes I use?
You can make your perfume habits gentler on the planet by being mindful of what you buy and backing brands that prioritize sustainability. A good starting point? Purchase only what you’ll actually use. This avoids unnecessary waste and ensures your perfumes don’t sit unused. Smaller options, like travel-sized bottles or decants, are another smart choice - they cut down on excess packaging and manufacturing waste.
Look for fragrances crafted with plant-based or renewable ingredients to help lower carbon emissions. Many brands now highlight eco-friendly components, such as renewable ethanol or recycled carbon sources, right on their labels. Choosing companies that openly share their carbon footprint or actively work toward greener practices also pushes the fragrance industry in a better direction.
By sticking to what you need and supporting brands that care about sustainability, you can enjoy your favorite scents while helping create a cleaner, greener future.
