This year’s congress “hopes to raise and answer significant questions around sustainability,” according to press materials. And several speakers will explicitly address sustainability issues, from sourcing natural scent ingredients to using biotech to build a better molecule, as well as how to design and understand what are now being called “green” fragrances.
Brave new world
Sustainable fragrances are truly coming to the fore, with IFF having just announcing that its PuraVida received the third party Cradle to Cradle certification. The Gold level designation, which this fragrance garnered, meets and exceeds the set standards for material health and reutilization, renewable energy, carbon management, water stewardship, and social fairness.
And natural, as well as bioengineered natural, fragrance notes are gaining momentum with perfumers and on down the line in the marketplace. Indeed, “demand for clean, natural, and organic perfumes and scented personal care products is on the rise,” as Cosmetics Design reported early this year.
In that series of articles on natural fragrance (and naturally fragranced personal care formulations), fragrance expert Lisa Wilson, principal at Scent&Strategy, commented that “All- natural fragrances can be challenging to solubilize in natural product applications, particularly in water based ones.” Because, she noted, that “it is only recently that all-natural surfactants have become available to perfumers and cosmetic chemists.” So the industry is on a learning curve here.
A lot to accomplish
It’s this new arena that this year’s WPC is looking to circumscribe. “The conference…aims to encourage others [aside from the speakers] to develop environmentally friendly futures for their companies,” affirms the press release.
The organizers anticipate that the event will be the largest to date, with 70+ exhibitors and hundreds of attendees. Things get underway with a cocktail and networking reception on Sunday 12 June and runs for 10+ hours each of the following three days.
Creative professionals
A portion of the event will highlight the value that any given individual perfumer’s life experience and sensibility has on her work. In ‘Origins and Diversity – The Perfumers, their Heritage and their Work,’ a session sponsored by the American Society of Perfumers (ASP), “leading professionals will discuss the impact that their diverse heritages have had on their methods, creativity and products.”
Also at the Congress, Claude Dir of MANE will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award and John Gamba, of Givaudan will receive the William Lambert Award.
Find the advanced show program, complete with speaker bios, here.