In March 2020 Ethical Consumer viewed the Bio-D Environmental and Social Mission, sent to Ethical Consumer by the company.

The Environmental and Social Mission stated: Being environmentally responsible is at the heart of everything we do. Packaging is a key part of this value and is important in product sustainability. Over the last 2 years we have worked to move our bottles across to 100% recycled post-consumer waste, with our first bottle launched in January 2017. We have also joined the Ellen McArther New Plastics Economy."

The company also talked about local sourcing in order to reduce environmental impact.

One target was found: "Our initial aim was to achieve 100% recyclable plastics with 75% from post- consumer waste recycled sources by 2025."

The company's website was also viewed. The 'Our Values' page stated, We also offer refill stations to keep waste to a minimum...We no longer want to witness the devastating sight of plastics clogging up our oceans and affecting our wildlife. Neither will we stand by while harsh cleaning chemicals continue to pollute our rivers and seas and affect our natural environment."

The company also listed which harmful products it did not include in its products.

The company discussed a number of important issues, but others were not adequately discussed, such as: energy use, carbon, water consumption. Furthermore, Ethical Consumer expected every company to produce at least two dated and quantifiable environmental targets, whereas only one could be found.
The report was not independently verified.

However, the company's focus was on producing environmentally sustainable products, that were all certified as vegan and cruelty-free.

Due to the fact the company had a turnover of less than £10.2 million and was considered to be providing an environmental alternative it received an exemption under Ethical Consumer's Environmental Reporting category.

In March 2020 Ethical Consumer viewed the questionnaire completed by Bio-D for the company's policy on the use of the hazardous chemicals parabens, triclosan and phthalates.
Some forms or uses of these chemicals were banned or restricted in the EU or the USA.
Triclosan is an antibacterial and a suspected endocrine disruptor. Parabens are also endocrine disruptors and have been linked to breast cancer. They are used as preservatives. Phthalates, usually DEP or DBP, are used in fragrances and are endocrine disruptors.

The company stated that it did not use any of these substances. It therefore received Ethical Consumer's best rating for Pollution and Toxics.

In February 2020, Ethical Consumer received a completed company questionnaire from Bio D. In answer to a question about microplastics and non-biodegradable liquid polymers the company stated that it: "does not use plastics in the internal products". This was assumed to mean that the company does not use microplastics or non-biodegradable liquid plastic polymers in any of its products. As such the company was deemed to have a positive policy on the use of microplastics. This story has been marked as information only.

According to Beat the Microbead, there are more than 500 known microplastics ingredients that can be found in our personal care products such as toothpastes, face washes, scrubs and shower gels. They are tiny plastic particles that are added for their exfoliating properties, but sometimes purely for aesthetic purposes only.

According to a recent report by Code Check, non-biodegradable liquid polymers were also prevalent across a wide range of cosmetic products. Like microplastics, these materials degrade with a similar difficulty in the environment and may cause similar harm.

In 2018, the UK government banned the use of microbeads in toothpastes, shower gels and facial scrubs. However, some products classified as “leave on” were not subject to the ban, this would include lotions, sun cream and makeup, as well as abrasive cleaning products. This ban did not extend to non-biodegradable liquid polymers.

In March 2020 Ethical Consumer Ethical Consumer viewed Bio-D’s questionnaire and the company's 'Palm Oil Sustainability' policy for the company’s palm oil policy.

The company stated that it only used palm oil derivatives and did not use crude palm or palm kernal oil. It also stated: "all ingredients that have an element of palm oil are carefully selected from suppliers who have the RSPO accreditation, ensuring the protection of the oil, the workers and the land." However, the company did not disclose any volumes in relation to its use of palm oil and its derivatives.

The company also stated, "we continue to look at ways of reducing ingredients with palm oil and selecting alternative products when in development stage."

Overall the company scored 8 out of 20 on Ethical Consumer's palm oil rating and therefore received Ethical Consumer's middle rating for palm oil.