You Look Good in Green

The May edition of Vanity Fair magazine has been dubbed its first-ever Green Issue. A green-clad Julie Roberts is on the cover, flanked by other environment activists Robert Kennedy Jr., Al Gore and George Clooney. Inside, the issue devotes 30 pages to environmental concerns, including listing 50 simple ways consumers can help the environment.

The public eye is increasingly focusing on the environment. And if your company is not swayed by today’s popular public opinion, there are other drivers. Perhaps more important, the topic has also caught the eye of Wal-Mart.

In an article released by The Associated Press in late March, author Marcus Kabel states: “Wal-Mart Stores is throwing its weight behind organic products, a move that experts say could have the same lasting effect on environmental practices the giant retailer has had on prices by forcing suppliers and competitors to keep up.”

Say what you want about Wal-Mart, but the Bentonville giant wields enormous influence over industry. The packaging segment witnessed this recently with the retailer’s announcements about radio frequency identification (RFID). Wal-Mart’s mandate requiring its top 100 suppliers to tag cases and pallets with RFID started a firestorm of activity. It forced its suppliers to make sweeping changes to their supply chains and jump-started the fledgling RFID industry, ready or not.  

Whether or not you are a budding environmentalist, you, as a beauty brand marketer, would be wise to recognize and react to the growing pro-environment sentiment. This is one trend that directly affects packaging.  

In our feature, Packaging Goes Green, we explore the state of sustainable packaging. The article defines sustainable packaging, explores drivers, examines the infrastructure in place and follows several brand marketers as they look to fulfill their corporate social responsibility. It’s a must-read.

Also in this issue, we tackle other topics relevant to the beauty packaging world: the “masstige” market, metal use and vintage looks. We hope you find the issue both fascinating and informative.

Leah Genuario
[email protected]