Sustainability is becoming an increasing challenge the cosmetic and personal care industry. As a consequence, brands, packaging and ingredient firms are investing in a raft of green initiatives, whilst technology is influencing raw materials, production processes, and distribution. Such developments will be featured in the tenth North American edition of the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit, which will be hosted in New York on 8-10th May 2019, at Park Central Hotel.

Packaging pollution has become a major environmental issue for cosmetic and consumer goods industries, with about 300 millions of tonnes of plastic waste generated each year,” explains Organic Monitor, the market research firm organising the event.

The next edition of the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit will be hosted in New York on 8-10th May 2019, at Park Central Hotel.

During the event, leading firms will present their best practices and solutions. For instance, Andrew Dent, Executive Vice President of Material Connexion will host a workshop on Reducing Packaging Impacts, while Shane Wolf, General Manager of Seed Phytonutrients, will show how the brand is using novel packaging made from post-consumer paper. Melissa Chelminiak, from Aveda will give some insights into how it is addressing its environmental and social impacts. Other topics covered will include regenerative agriculture, methodologies to measure impacts, social risks in supply chains, and retailing case study. 

In parallel, new technologies allow the creation of new sustainable ingredients. An update will be given on how plant cell technology is creating novel actives, as well as sustainable processing methods. Philip Prather from Down Under Enterprises will use Australian sandalwood as an example on how technology is being used to provide traceability for raw materials. Another speaker will discuss the opportunities provided by artificial intelligence; other topics include mobile apps for sustainable cosmetics, social media marketing success stories, and marketing implications of new technologies.

Furthermore, green materials continue to make headway into cosmetic and personal care products. “However,” said Organic Monitor, “there are some concerns about the long-term implications.” Serena Pozza from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation will discuss the role of such materials in a circular economy. How can existing personal care ingredients be adapted for repeat use? How can truly sustainable chemicals be created? Dr. Ellen Kamhi will give an update on the growing array of natural ingredients used in functional skincare products. Other speakers will discuss new materials from food side streams, natural ingredients for hair care products, and innovating with green materials.