What I Mean When I Reference “The Green Maze”

Read Time: 4 minutes

Often, you’ll hear me reference “The Green Maze”, and today I’m going to explain what it is I’m talking about.

Now more than ever, consumers are focused on responsible consumption. That’s especially true in the Cosmetics and Personal Care industry: creams, haircare products, makeup, you name it.

It’s such an important thing that goal 12 of the UN is to “ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns”.

But what does that actually mean when sourcing chemical raw materials and ingredients?

Well, at a high level, it means buying things in ways that minimise the impacts on the environment. But I would go further and throw in minimising, or eliminating, impacts on communities and individuals too, negative ones anyway.

Essentially, sourcing products which are both ‘ethical’ and ‘sustainable’.

By now, you may have worked it out where “The Green Maze” comes from.

When it comes to chemical raw materials and ingredients, it’s a bit of a mine field, full of complexity, confusion, and opacity with trade names, and hidden supply chains…

…a green maze!!

I think producers of finished products sometimes miss a bit of a trick by not concentrating more on this.

Think of the added marketing potential if you can speak with 100% certainty about the ethics and sustainability initiatives throughout your supply chain?

So how do we get 100% clarity in the ethics and sustainability of out supply chain?

How about starting with the following concepts:

1. Initial Screening

2. Deeper Dive

3. Collaboration Work

4. Formal Certification

"We don't have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world." — Howard Zinn

Implementing an Initial Screening Process

It’s easy to get overwhelmed when sourcing products and, before we go further, I’m not saying to go overboard and complicate your lives any more than you need to. The processes I am suggesting will help when searching for new products, and/or help you identify strong (and weaker) areas with existing sources.

I start with a Request for Information (RFI), asking basic questions around ethics, sustainability, and transparency.

Make sure you consider the specific goals of a project before disqualifying a company outright though. Sometimes, a company might not meet all criteria initially but could be essential for a particular product or project due to other strengths they possess.

Conducting a Deeper Dive into Suppliers

Once the initial screening is done, and you’ve shortlisted some potentials, a deeper dive is likely necessary.

This involves getting more detailed information on a supplier’s ethics and sustainability practices. It requires time, effort, and a willingness to ask difficult questions, which is where many fall short.

If possible, trace the supply chain back to feedstocks, which can help in understanding the entire production process and improving reliability and planning as well.

Visiting suppliers may be a good option down the line too, understanding their processes in detail, and ensuring everything aligns with your company values.

Collaborating With Partners

Working closely with suppliers, customers, and even competitors can lead to better outcomes for everyone involved.

This can include innovative things, such as greener chemistry, logistics, and ordering patterns to reduce environmental impact. Maybe joint sustainability goals, or CSR projects.

Then, go one step further and be transparent with customers about it all too.

I saw a great example of this recently where a cosmetic brand put on their bottle the exact percentage of up-cycled ingredients in the product. Perfect.

Securing Formal Certification

Finally, either utilise, or encourage your suppliers to secure formal certification from recognised bodies to provide assurance and credibility. Take EcoVadis for example, which evaluates companies on their environmental, social, and ethical performance.

Achieving such certifications can be a lengthy and costly process, but they are invaluable in proving commitment to sustainability.

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So, there you have it, a quick introduction to “The Green Maze”.

Alchem Trading is here to help you navigate the maze, and these processes are built into the CLEAN framework to give you peace of mind and, ultimately, the ability to speak with 100% clarity around the ethics and sustainability initiatives in your supply chain.

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Thanks for reading, and see you next week.

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