Brianne West

Brianne West is an original environmentalist and social entrepreneur from New Zealand, known for creating Ethique, the world's first zero-waste beauty brand. Born in the United Kingdom, her family moved to New Zealand in 1994, where she established her new company. West's journey with Ethique began while studying biochemistry at the University of Canterbury. During her studies, she realised the excessive waste generated by the beauty industry, particularly from plastic packaging.

In 2012, at 24, West started Ethique in her kitchen, formulating solid beauty products that didn't require plastic packaging. She recognised that many beauty products like shampoo and conditioner are water-based, which seemed redundant given their use in a water-abundant environment like a bathroom. West sought to create high-quality, solid and zero-waste alternatives to these products. Her approach was both environmentally friendly, practical and efficient, eliminating the need for plastic containers by shipping only the active ingredients in solid form.

Ethique quickly gained recognition for its original and sustainable approach. The brand has had a significant positive environmental impact by preventing millions of plastic bottles from ending up in landfills and drastically lowering carbon emissions. Ethique's success is proof of West's vision and dedication to environmental sustainability. The company was one of New Zealand's founding B Corps and is committed to fair trade and ethical practices, including donating a percentage of its profits to charity.

Among the many accolades that West has received for his achievements are the 2019 NZ EY 'Young Entrepreneur of the Year', the 2020 One Young World Entrepreneur of the Year and the 2016 Foreign Policy magazine list of "Top 100 Global Thinkers." She was inducted into the Women Entrepreneurs Hall of Fame in 2023.

In addition to Ethique, Brianne West founded several other businesses. Her most recent endeavour, Incrediballs, aims to transform the beverage industry by doing away with plastic bottles. She is also a social impact investment fund partner and contributes to educational materials for prospective business owners.

Brianne West's journey with Ethique is an inspiring example of how a commitment to sustainability and original thinking can lead to significant environmental and business success.

West’s profile is noteworthy because she built a global beauty brand around a simple, evidence-backed thesis, that solid cosmetics could eliminate billions of plastic bottles and proved it at commercial scale from Christchurch. Ethique’s model has influenced the entire personal-care industry’s approach to packaging waste.

Sources: Wikipedia · Ethique · Stuff