Wal-Mart And Target Host Beauty And Personal Care Products Sustainability Summit

Target and Wal-Mart hosted the first ever Beauty and Personal Care Products Sustainability Summit on September 4, 2014, in Chicago, Illinois. Target has seen sales of natural and organic products in the beauty and personal care category grow 17 percent over the last year, indicating a clear demand from consumers for more sustainable products. Over 80 participants gathered in Chicago, including representatives from EPA, manufacturers, non-profit organizations, and packaging companies, for a serious discussion about priority chemicals and disclosure of chemical content; waste and packaging; and consumer behavior. The director of the Green Chemistry & Commerce Council stated that this Summit "put a clear stake in the ground" in terms of how serious Wal-Mart and Target are about sustainability.

There was discussion on the need to create clear, standardized criteria that could be easily shared and understood across the supply chain to empower consumers to make informed choices. The need to develop and use sustainable chemical preservatives and reduce water consumption was also discussed. It was made clear during the Summit that suppliers who are not willing to help Target and Wal-Mart stock sustainable merchandise will be left behind. Target and Wal-Mart will have conference calls throughout October to discuss how to achieve measurable results through the ideas discussed during the Summit. More information about the Summit can be found here.