Sustainability Means Good Business

Sustainability continues to be a hot topic this year—and one that shows every indication of growing stronger and more prevalent—despite a down economy. No longer is it just the ethos of niche beauty brands concerned about the future of the environment; major global companies have prioritized it as the core of a successful business model. Turns out, what’s good for the planet is also good for the bottom line—in a number of ways.

A 2009 report “National Green Buying Research,” commissioned by Green Seal Inc. and EnviroMedia Social Marketing, says 82% of consumers (four out of five) polled said they are still buying green products and services today—which sometimes cost more—even in the midst of a U.S. recession. When making a purchasing decision, 21% of consumers said a product’s reputation weighs in as the biggest factor—and 24% said they are verifying green claims by reading the packaging.

And increasingly, as you’ll read in this month’s editorial feature, “Sustainable Packaging: New Strides & Strategies,” brands are relying on packaging as an effective means to share their sustainability stories with eco-savvy consumers.

One step that can be taken by all brands looking to incorporate sustainable practices into packaging is to take environmental factors into account beginning with the design stage. With this in mind, the SPC recently released COMPASS (www.design-compass.org), an online software application that allows packaging professionals to compare the environmental impacts of their package designs.

Throughout this issue and online at nitesh_bp.rodpub.com, you’ll find examples of ways to cut costs in an environmentally responsible manner.

An exclusive online interview profiles Kiss My Face, a brand that has chosen sustainability as its guiding principle, incorporating its beliefs right down to the materials it chooses for its point of purchase displays.

Special contributed articles from Beauty Packaging’s Board of Advisors members John Delfausse (Estée Lauder), Karen Grant (The NPD Group) and Maureen Kelly (Tarte Cosmetics) lend insight into sustainability from packaging, consumer and brand perspectives.

Interested in hearing more from these key industry players? On May 21 at 11am, at Luxe Pack NY (www.luxepacknewyork.com), these three guest authors will join Beauty Packaging’s Board member Scott Widrow (Chanel) for a session entitled “Creating Brand Loyalty.”

Even with all the sustainable solutions covered in this issue, I realize this is only the tip of the (melting) iceberg. Please let me know what your company is doing.

We hope you enjoy this issue.


Jamie Matusow
[email protected]