Origins Rocks Earth Month
Wednesday, April 20th – Webster Hall, NYC
By April Milliken Trigg
The origin(al) Origins Rocks Earth Month Concert launched in 2010 with their first ever concert held at New York City’s Webster Hall, with special guest performer Macy Gray. “Origins was founded on its commitment to protecting the planet, its resources and all those who populate it,” says Jane Lauder, Global President/General Manager, Origins. “Since Origins sources its natural ingredients from the earth we are committed to giving back via eco-conscious brand practices, our tree planting program and through raising awareness with Origins Rocks Earth Month™. Beyond a rockin’ musical celebration to mark Earth month and recognize Origins’ Global Earth Initiatives, the talented team at Origins uses the concert to engage their customers in a little Earth Month giving as well. Last year’s concert initiative encouraged customers to earn two tickets to the event by bringing in their cosmetic containers to stores to be recycled. Their Return to Origins Recycling Program is an on-going, first-of-its-kind nationwide cosmetics recycling program offering consumers a place to drop off their empty cosmetic packaging – everything from bottles, tubes, jars, deodorant sticks and compacts regardless of brand – to be recycled, when possible, or responsibly converted to energy. Since the programs inception, Origins has recycled more than 17,000 pounds of cosmetic packaging.
This year, they took the idea one step further by asking customers to make their own personal Earth Month pledge. In addition to a front row seat, Origins is also planting a tree on behalf of every concert attendee through its partner American Forests’ Global ReLeaf™. To take it one more click further, Origins also live-streamed the concert and is planting trees on behalf of all who also logged on. With a count of nearly 100,000 trees being planted on behalf of these loyal followers & pledges this year, Origins certainly made a significant pledge themselves.
I was fortunate enough to be not only an on-site green groupie with my new pals at Origins but I also had the chance to interview the evenings VIPs and hear their Earth Day pledges as well. From Executive Chairman William Lauder to Jane Lauder and Grammy-award winning band Train, it seems they take their Earth Day pledges seriously and not just that day, but every day. Whether recycling, water conservation, energy efficiency, local sourcing & support or waste reduction was their “beef”, so to speak, I was encouraged and inspired by their on-going commitment and also excitement to continue to take it one leap forward. When I asked Jane if she foresaw the Origins Rocks Earth Month Concert becoming an even more expansive series (they held a concert in Shanghai on April 29th as well), she said a resounding YES! So, log on, stay tuned and get into your local Origins store to keep cleaning up your [beauty] act all year long with their Global Earth Initiatives and we hope you’ll be sitting in the front row next year.
