SCS New York to explore industry’s environmental impact with focus on formulation and packaging

Organic Monitor will look to delve deeper into the environmental impact of the cosmetics industry with a focus on green formulation and sustainable packaging at its next Sustainable Cosmetics Summit.

Hosted in New York on 17-19th May, the three day summit focuses on green formulations and sustainable packaging, as well as sustainability metrics and marketing innovations.

A spokesperson for the company told CosmeticsDesign.com USA that it is about time sustainable packaging was focused on by the industry and that for the first time, a summit will showcase popular techniques to measure the environmental footprint of personal care products.

“By placing emphasis on metrics, we want to show how environmental impacts can be measured and quantified for positive change,” added Amarjit Sahota, president of Organic Monitor.

Green ingredients

An update will be given on the palette of green ingredients available to formulators, whilst the range of sustainable packaging options will be highlighted.

Titled Sustainability Best-Practices, the opening session highlights the various ways cosmetic companies are measuring and reducing their environmental and social footprints

Susan Arnot Heaney, global director of Corporate Responsibility of Avon, will show how its sustainability programs is improving corporate efficiency, and how the company is reducing its environmental impact by investing in green buildings, undertaking sustainable sourcing and decreasing material usage.

Addressing the issues

Brazil-based Natura Cosmetics will share its experiences in carbon management tools, explaining its implementation of a number of techniques to measure, reduce, and offset its carbon emissions.

Tackling some of the talked-about issues in industry right now, Judi Beerling, head of technical research at Organic Monitor, will be discussing the alternatives to parabens in cosmetic formulations in a dedicated workshop.

With growth in the North American sustainable cosmetics market slowing, brands are exploring new growth openings, prompting Organic Monitor to focus its Marketing & Distribution Innovations session on new distribution channels and new country markets

The final session of the conference reviews the range of sustainable packaging options available to cosmetic brands, with speakers from Procter & Gamble, Hain Celestial and Michigan State University.