By: Tyler Horvath

In a country better known for its semiconductors and bubble tea, O’Right, a Taoyuan based hair and beauty company founded by Steven Ko, has led the charge as one of Taiwan’s best examples of sustainable business and eco-entrepreneuring. 

Founded in 2001, the company started out as a small beauty lab focused on helping beauty professionals. But Ko quickly realized the major issue within the beauty industry: most products use harsh chemicals, plastic packaging, and energy intensive production. This led Steven Ko to shift his business model. 

In September of 2006, Ko radically altered his approach to beauty, challenging his company to become a pioneer for green business practices in the beauty world. To do this, it took Ko changing almost every aspect of his business. He invested in research to substitute the harsh, synthetic chemicals for natural, sustainable extracts; sought out biodegradable materials; and committed to a renewable energy form for production. 

One of O’Right’s biggest sustainability projects was the creation of their “Tree in a bottle” shampoo. The 100% fully biodegradable shampoo bottle is made from eco-friendly materials including fruit and vegetable waste that can be degraded naturally in a year. The bottle also demonstrated some of O’Right’s unique sustainability practices through the inclusion of native acacia tree seeds inside the bottle. The natural materials, when degraded, break down into CO2 and water that help nourish the seeds and help them grow into a fully fledged tree. The choice of seed wasn’t purely to help fight deforestation, but the Acacia tree species is the most efficient species in Taiwan at isolating and storing carbon from the atmosphere.

Under Ko, the company has redefined what it means to be a sustainable business. The company’s headquarters is run off of solar and wind energy to generate their sustainable products in a clean way. They also use a PWC (Process cooling water) system to save more energy and further help the environment. Ko also recently joined RE100 to make a public commitment to 100% renewable electricity by 2025.

Additionally O’Right has won nearly 30 distinct awards as of 2024. Notably the French Sustainable Beauty Awards for Sustainable Packaging (2017), Sustainable Leadership (2019), Sustainable Pioneer (2020), New Sustainable Product (2020). These awards over the years are just a few of the over 100 awards in total across sustainability, design, innovation, and responsibility.

Through Steven Ko’s vision and determination, O’Right has become a perfect example of how a business can thrive while prioritizing sustainability. He proves that eco-conscious entrepreneurship is not only possible but profitable and is leading a revolution in Taiwan and its growing focus on a sustainable future.

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