Fragrance and Transparency

Transparency was the unexpected centerpiece of Sustainable Fragrances 2011, held last June in Washington, DC. During the preconference seminar, Paul Anastas of the US Environmental Protection Agency, and father of green chemistry, said “disclosure is coming.” It is not coming because of any pending legislation, but rather because of a desire from consumers and some consumer goods companies to lift the veil of secrecy from fragrance ingredients. Anastas is not a perfume industry insider, but rather a highly regarded scientist with a passion for the environment, and his comment represents a deep undercurrent pushing for meaningful ingredient disclosure. Yet not all stakeholders—fragrance manufacturers and consumer products companies in particular—are on the same page.

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