L'Oréal S.A. — Ethics Grade C+

L'Oréal S.A. receives an overall ethics grade of C+ (58/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Consumer Goods. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 50
• privacy: 70
• consumer: 60
• environment: 55
• humanRights: 62

Documented incidents (3)

• Price Fixing Fine in Greece (medium, 2021) — Greek authorities fined the company for orchestrating a price-fixing cartel with other luxury beauty brands. This restricted competition and resulted in higher prices for consumers.
• Union Busting Allegations (medium, 2023) — Workers in US distribution centers alleged that the company used aggressive intimidation tactics to prevent unionization. Claims included mandatory anti-union meetings and monitoring of private discussions.
• Plastic Waste Contribution (high, 2020) — Despite public commitments, the company remains one of the world's top contributors to plastic pollution according to brand audits. Critics argue their recycling initiatives do not keep pace with production.

Documented good deeds

• Waterloop Factory Project — Implementation of 'Waterloop' factories where all industrial water is treated and reused in a closed circuit, reducing water consumption significantly.

Ethical alternatives

• Patagonia — Gold standard in supply chain ethics and environmental activism.