Estee Lauder's Sustainability Initiatives Involve Making Hard Choices Today For A Better Tomorrow

For The Estee Lauder Companies, sustainability means “making the smart (and sometimes difficult) choices today” in order to help create a better, more beautiful, and lasting world in the future, according to SVP of global corporate citizenship and sustainability, Nancy Mahon. Beauty brands need to integrate sustainability efforts into their business model to heed the call of consumers, employees, and investors for companies to behave responsibly and consciously with regards to the environment, Mahon said. Also, sustainability initiatives create the most value when they are “effectively and efficiently” implemented across the product's life cycle, she added.

"Estée Lauder Companies Shares Sustainability Best Practices, Part 1", CosmeticsDesign.com | USA, April 25, 2017

Clorox Turns On Fairfield Plant's Solar Power System

Clorox announced the company has activated the solar panel system at its Fairfield Cleaning facility in California. Capable of producing 500 kilowatts of electricity during daylight hours the ground-mounted system is designed to help the facility reduce its electric power consumption by a significant portion. According to the company, Fairfield Cleaning is the first company-owned facility with installed solar power system. Power Purchase Agreements built the system, as well as Clorox’s first installation at its leased regional warehouse in Aberdeen, Maryland.

"Fairfield Plant Goes Solar", The Clorox Company, April 26, 2017

Estee Lauder SVP Mahon Shares Importance Of Timely And Proactive Interaction When Communicating Sustainability Goals With Customers

One of the biggest issues and challenges a company has to deal with when creating a sustainability plan include “identifying what sustainability means” for the brand, according to The Estee Lauder Companies SVP of global corporate citizenship and sustainability, Nancy Mahon. Brands need to “communicate proactively” with their target audience to highlight their areas of differentiation. Companies need to interact with their customers when and where they are, including online and through social media. Regular communication with customers “maintains a positive corporate reputation,” Mahon added.

"Estée Lauder Companies Shares Sustainability Best Practices, Part 2", CosmeticsDesign.com | USA, April 26, 2017

Australian Charity Opens Supermarket Stocked With Unsold Food

Australians too cash-strapped to pay for food can take advantage of food charity OzHarvest’s new venture, a “rescued food supermarket,” located in the Sydney suburb of Kensington. The supermarket’s shelves are stocked with donations of leftover perishable food from more than 2,000 commercial outlets. The organization only asks that people who take the free food pay what they can, even if it’s only donated services. Founded in 2004, OzHarvest distributes donated food to more than 8,000 charities.

"OzHarvest Opens Australia’s First ‘Rescued Food Supermarket’", Australian Food News, May 01, 2017

Popular Beauty Brands Fail Ethics Test, Ethical Consumer Magazine Says

Popular and leading beauty brands have failed a corporate ethics analysis by the Ethical Consumer magazine. Focused on workers' rights, environmental policies, and animal testing, the test revealed that even brands perceived by consumers as ethical were actually guilty by association with their parent companies. Some brands sold by retailer Boots were rated poor because parent company Walgreens Boots Alliance does not require suppliers to ban animal testing. LVMH's beauty brand Benefit got a terrible score of 1.5 points out of 20 for its parent company's refusal to join the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.

"How ethical is YOUR Makeup Bag? Report Delivers A Damning Verdict on Popular Brands Like Boots, Superdrug and Benefit Because of their Parent Firms' Policies Around Animal Testing and the Environment", Daily Mail, May 08, 2017