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Sustainable Cosmetics Summit: New Editions Tackle Green Formulations and Packaging

Sustainable Cosmetics Summit: New Editions Tackle Green Formulations and Packaging

Published 07-02-13

Submitted by Organic Monitor

Green formulations and sustainable packaging are focal themes of the next editions of the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit (www.sustainablecosmeticssummit.com). The Latin American summit will take place in São Paolo on 18-20 September, whilst the European summit will be hosted in Paris on 21-23rd October. With growing pressure on the cosmetics industry to adopt green formulations and reduce their packaging impacts, the summits will showcase industry best-practices whilst highlighting improvements areas.

The growing array of green ingredients available to formulators will be featured at the summits. New and emerging materials will be highlighted for major ingredient classes: preservatives, fragrances, emulsifiers, surfactants, emollients and base oils. The technical issues of using green ingredients vis-à-vis conventional ingredients will be discussed. Developments in sustainable extraction methods and processing techniques are also on the summit agenda.

A first for the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit is a workshop on the safety assessment of botanical ingredients. Although many cosmetic and ingredient companies are turning to natural sources, questions remain of the safety of such materials. At the Latin American summit, a review will be undertaken of the safety and assessment issues related to botanical ingredients.

Chris Kilham – also known as the Medicine Hunter – will kick off the European edition with a keynote on ‘Innovating from Nature’. The renowned author and educator will explain how the wealth of knowledge present in the plant kingdom can be a source of innovation in the cosmetics industry. In another paper, the Medicine Hunter will highlight some of the botanical actives that are making headway in cosmetics applications.

An update on sustainability metrics will be given in the European and Latin American editions. Apart from the use of Life-Cycle Analysis to measure environmental impacts, methods of measuring carbon and water footprints will be discussed. Jean-Florent Campion from L’Oreal will share his company’s experiences in measuring the water footprint of cosmetic products. Another paper by Primavera will highlight the challenges in reducing and offsetting carbon emissions when developing a climate-neutral production facility. Another paper explores the use of mobile devices to measure environmental impacts 

Sustainable packaging is a major focus since cosmetic companies are under growing pressure to reduce their packaging impacts because of rising raw material costs and waste management issues. Apart from the design approach and packaging materials, the summit will discuss innovative ways to reduce the environmental impact of packaging. The use of novel materials like bamboo, wood and hybrid polymers in cosmetic packaging will be explored. A paper on reverse logistics looks at how cosmetic companies can create a closed loop for the life-cycle of packaging. Natural Brasil will share its packaging innovations in the Latin American edition, whilst boho Cosmetics and Naobay will highlight the challenges of developing novel packaging solutions in the European edition. Each summit has an interactive workshop on sustainability in packaging.

Marketing and distribution developments have dedicated sessions. The Latin American edition will highlight the impact of new technologies on marketing. The CEO of the Brazilian agency Ampfy will discuss the use of social media, whilst another paper describes the potential of e-commerce and m-commerce for cosmetic products. Grupo Pão de Açúcar, the largest retailer in South America, will look at the complexity of sustainability at the retail side. The Brazilian retailer is leading in many areas of sustainability, such as reducing carbon emission, sustainable sourcing and sustainability reporting.

With much of Europe mired in recession, the European summit will cast the spotlight on distribution. The opening speaker will highlight the distribution hurdles faced by green brands in a weak economy. An international cosmetics firm will discuss the use of sales consultants in direct marketing, whilst other papers cover business openings in the Asian market, mainstream retailing, and green consumer behaviour.

About the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit
The aim of the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit is to encourage sustainability in the beauty industry by bringing together key stake-holders and debate major sustainability issues in a high-level forum. The 2nd Latin American edition will take place in São Paulo on 18-20th September, whilst the 5th European edition will be hosted in Paris on 21-23 October. More information is available from www.sustainablecosmeticssummit.com

About Organic Monitor
Organic Monitor is a London-based specialist research, consulting & training company that focuses on the global organic & related product industries. Since 2001, we have been providing a range of business services to operators in high-growth ethical & sustainable industries. Our services include market research publications, business & technical consulting, seminars & workshops, and sustainability summits. Visit us at www.organicmonitor.com

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Organic Monitor

Organic Monitor was established in 2001 with the mission to assist operators in the organic products supply chain by providing accurate and timely business information. The first service we launched was Industry Watch, providing news updates on the international organic products industry via our website and e-newsletter.

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