The 2nd Asia Pacific edition of the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit drew to a successful close in Hong Kong in November. A major outcome is that the Asian cosmetics industry needs to raise the bar for sustainability.
The region is lagging in many ethical and ecological areas, such as alternatives to animal testing, ecological packaging, green formulations, as well as consumer education. A major theme highlighted was low consumer understanding of green issues. Many brands are resorting to opening concept stores so they can engage directly with consumers. Perfect Potion, an Australian naturals brand, is focusing on the Japanese market where it currently operates 10 stores. The co-founder and managing director, Salvatore Battaglia, said the company uses the stores to educate customers about aromatherapy, natural products, as well as green issues. With some ethical cosmetic brands unable to enter the Chinese market because of its animal testing methods, alternative methods were extensively discussed at the summit. Anthony E. James from the Chinese University of Hong Kong stated that China was falling behind many Asian countries that are now using a range of alternative testing methods. International trade – rather than pressure from NGOS and consumer groups - could force China to accept alternatives to animal testing methods. According to Nick Palmer from Cruelty-Free International, Chinese authorities will be under pressure to change their stance when the EU implements its ban of animal-tested ingredients and cosmetic products in 2013. Chinese companies could lose their international competitiveness as they develop separate product lines for the European market. The next Asia Pacific edition of the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit will look at ways of raising consumer awareness of green and sustainability issues in the region. The summit will once again take place in Hong Kong, on 11-12 November 2013.
