Growing a
Sustainable Economy
As for
current ethical concerns regarding the cosmetic industry, many more economic
regions are just catching up with their regulations and concerns. Like most
problems with sustainability in the economy, most countries seek out a large
and impressive capital economy before they realize the importance of
sustainability and eco-friendly practices later on during their processes of
development.
This not only makes it hard to
implement new sustainable policies, but also means that the local business
practices will always be slightly more backward in the eyes of its Western
investors. However, regions once considered developing are now catching up with
their ethical concerns.
How? Ethics!
Already in its second year, the “Asia-Pacific
edition of the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit” is precisely aimed at
tackling the major ethical issues pertaining to the cosmetics industry,
particularly ecological awareness and the ethics of cosmetic research. Such summits
are very important in the transmission of cosmetic knowledge, allowing the most
up to date knowledge on issues of ethical cosmetic research and development for
less developed industries. Furthermore, these summits are gathering places for
smaller sustainable product suppliers, or cosmetic material producers to meet
up with larger, more established cosmetic tycoons in the industry.
This particular summit investigates
the issue of ethical cosmetics in the industry through two perspectives: the
first being eco-friendly, natural, “green” cosmetic ingredients, the second
being the stainable packaging and marketing practices for a cosmetic company. In
response to this, this summit’s method of splitting the issue of ethics in
different sustainable stages gives the consumer an overview of the very
important matters regarding sustainability today, those being successful
obtainment of positive ingredients, along with incorporating a successful
marketing plan to sell such eco-friendly products.
With the
lax in governmental regulations, the cosmetic industry can mainly be changed by
way of its consumer-ship public. With the new technological advancements,
consumers can easily research the ingredients and chemical additives in any of
their daily cosmetic products. With women applying make-up on a daily basis,
the chemical toxins in the cosmetics should be the lowest possible to ensure
unwanted side effects.
How? Regulations!
Though governmental regulations are
the best and most lasting way to ensure the illegality of some particularly
harmful products in cosmetics, consumers should always be informed of the
ingredients of the products they are purchasing. Knowledge transparency is very
important for sustainable companies, and with such knowledge, consumers will
trust their brand name products even more. Other than consumer product
awareness, consumers should actively boycott products they feel that do not
reflect their moral and ethical standards.
If consumers actively pursue for
industry change in unethical practices, the demand will force these cosmetic
companies to rethink their unethical policies, and access whether or not
unethical behavior is really more lucrative in the long run.
According to David E.
Gumpert, the entire notion of the “American entrepreneur” could be
seen as a less ethical image. Gumpert attributes this image to the fact that
entrepreneurs have to constantly offer products, or different product marketing
strategies, that are not already on the market. Gumpert suggests that this may
force them to seek out more legally questionable routes in face of profit.
However, the cases seen in the cosmetic industry seems to be just the opposite.
The high amount of saturation in the traditional cosmetic companies have forced
new, up and coming cosmetic brands to seek out different eco-friendly marketing
strategies and all natural formulas. With this new trend of environmentally
aware cosmetic products, it is often the old unethical processes that need to
be innovated.
Moreover, according to the Harvard Business Review, ethical
issues are often overlooked in the reality of the workplace: “Responding to
intense pressure for short-term results, people working for corporations often
cut corners that they shouldn’t.” Harvard
Business Review stressed how the collective environment of the workplace
often contributes to the unethical employee practices that do not seem to
unethical when everyone else is involved. In light of these unethical business
practices in the fundamental workplace, companies wishing to project an image
of sustainability and eco-friendly attitudes should focus on changing the
overall work place mentality to encourage sustainable behavior on the most
fundamental level.
The Positive Effects:
All in all, if the work place is
encouraged as an honest and reputable place, where the employers really care
about their employees, and the employees really care about the company
consumers, consumers will be increasingly willing to purchase ecologically
conscious products. To really ensure sustainable products and good ethical
company practices, consumers should call for company transparency in products
to ensure long sustainable practices.
Other than consumer awareness of
knowledge, consumers should push for good ethical practices on the fundamental
corporate level. Through pushing for a change in the business environment, and
heightening the awareness towards good, ethical business practices on the most
base business level, this will fundamentally change the ongoing business ethics
of the larger environment.
References:
“Asian Cosmetics Summit tackles major ethical &
ecological issues.” Eco-Business. Jul
23, 2012.
Gumpert, David E. “Are Today’s Entrepreneurs Less Ethical.” Bloomberg Businessweek:
Small
Business. Sep 30, 2003. Web. http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2003-09-30/are-todays-entrepreneurs-less-ethical
“Raising Ethical Issues at Work.” Harvard Business Review.
Feb 22, 2010. Web.
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