Circular economy and corporate social responsibility: towards an integrated strategic approach in the multinational cosmetics industry

Sustainability become, in recent years, an important part of corporate management philosophy. It is communicated through mandatory and non-mandatory reports that identify specific objectives and disseminate best practices to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this context Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the Circular Economy (CE) can be integrated despite having a different theoretical focus. The paper aims to discuss “if” and “how” cosmetic luxury brands are improving their environmental sustainability through new integrated strategies, using the different theoretical concepts of CSR and CE, driver of cleaner production. The research analyses the CSR reports of eight well-known Multinationals in Cosmetics (MNCs) to verify how they pursue the typical dimensions of CSR (environmental, social, and economic) and if CE is part of their corporate strategies. We found evidence of a good level of attention by MNCs to circularity in their CSR reporting. In particular, we found companies’ CSR reports communicate multiple objectives typical of a circular approach (eco-design, reuse, low energy consumption, zero emissions). The main contribution of this study is supporting the integration of CE and CSR dimensions in MNCs managerial choices. It also contributes to the understanding on the relation between CSR and CE and assesses the state of art of MNCs in this field making it possible take a step towards an increasingly integrated approach to circularity.