LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., April 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Avalon Organics® brand recommits to its core message of Consciousness in Cosmetics® by reminding women that their beauty choices have a real impact on our environment. Many conventional beauty brands consider the efficacy of their formulas to be priority one. This Earth Day, Avalon Organics® brand urges consumers to demand more from their beauty brands.  The Avalon Organics® brand believes that the cutting edge performance of its products must be matched by vanguard ways to help reduce environmental impact.

One way to conserve is in packaging.  The eco-benefits of PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) packaging are astonishing. PET bottles generate lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions, require less energy and result in less post-consumer waste by weight than glass.^[1]  Even better yet is the use of post-consumer recycled PET for the production of bottles, which are then again recyclable. A 2010 life-cycle study on recycled PET found that producing bottles from one ton of recycled PET in place of virgin PET saved an additional 48 million BTUs of energy and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by another 3,000 pounds.^[2]   

With this in mind, Avalon Organics® brand proudly transitioned its hair and body products to 100% recycled PET packaging. Additionally, the brand has moved bottle production closer to the product manufacturing facility in Southern California, helping to reduce transportation fuel and lower the carbon footprint of these bottles by 46%. Overall, these changes were estimated to result in an annual reduction of approximately 258,000 kg of CO₂ emissions, and a reduction in energy consumption of over 2.2 million kWh of energy^[3] – enough to power 208 homes for an entire year^[4]. As a result of these efforts, Avalon Organics® received the prestigious Responsible Packaging Award presented by the Responsible Packaging Committee of the Sustainable Food Trade Association in 2012.

The Avalon Organics® brand is also committed to making formulas that are gentle on the environment. In 2014, the brand announced that its hair and body formulas were verified biodegradable by an independent lab and has begun adding this information to labels.

So this year, join the Avalon Organics® brand as it celebrates Earth Day. It's time that our beauty product purchases not only support our own well-being but also the well-being of our planet.

Avalon Organics® products are available at Whole Foods Markets, Target, Walmart, drug stores, grocery stores and natural food stores as well as at www.avalonorganics.com.

About the Avalon Organics Brand
All Avalon Organics^® products are certified to NSF/ANSI 305, the American National Standard for Personal Care Products Containing Organic Ingredients.  The entire line is made with 100% vegetarian ingredients and does not undergo animal testing. Formulas are free of Parabens, Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate, Petrolatum, artificial colors, synthetic fragrances, and Phthalates.

In November 2011 Avalon Organics® brand was recognized as a "Champion" by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition of more than 150 nonprofit organizations working to help protect consumers and workers by eliminating potentially harmful chemicals from cosmetics. Avalon Organics® brand demonstrates its leadership in safety by meeting the goals of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, a voluntary pledge to avoid chemicals prohibited for use in many countries and to disclose ingredients used in our products. Avalon Organics® brand accepts this honor with pride as an example of its commitment to Consciousness in Cosmetics®, the Avalon Organics® pledge to create and manufacture safe and effective personal care products. For more information, please visit: www.safecosmetics.org/marketshift

The Hain Celestial Group
The Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ: HAIN), headquartered in Lake Success, NY, is a leading organic and natural products company in North America and Europe.  Hain Celestial participates in many natural categories with well-known brands that include Celestial Seasonings®, Earth's Best®, Ella's Kitchen®, Terra®, Garden of Eatin'®, Sensible Portions®, Health Valley®, Arrowhead Mills®, MaraNatha®, SunSpire®, DeBoles®, Gluten Free Café™, Hain Pure Foods®, Spectrum®, Spectrum Essentials®, Walnut Acres Organic®, Imagine®, Almond Dream®, Rice Dream®, Soy Dream®, WestSoy®, The Greek Gods®, BluePrint®, Yves Veggie Cuisine®, Europe's Best®, Cully & Sully®, New Covent Garden Soup Co.®, Johnson's Juice Co.®, Farmhouse Fare®, Hartley's®, Sun-Pat®, Gale's®, Robertson's®, Frank Cooper's®, Linda McCartney®, Lima®, Danival®, GG UniqueFiber®, Tilda®, Akash Basmati®, Abu Shmagh®, JASON®, Avalon Organics®, Alba Botanica® and Queen Helene®.  Hain Celestial has been providing A Healthier Way of Life™ since 1993.  For more information, visit www.hain.com.

©2014 The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.  All rights reserved.

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SOURCE The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.