Greening your operation… EAA Fall meeting tackles sustainability. T he Eastern Aerosol Association (EAA) held its Fall meeting in Clark, NJ on October 10. The theme focused on Industry Initiatives Supporting Sustainability. Mary Ann Remolador, Northeast Recycling Council, presented Moving towards Sustainability: Developing a Plan of Action. There are many definitions of sustainability, explained Remolador. One viewpoint is “Bridging economic activity with environmental and social concern.” It takes time and energy, but it is not hard to take steps toward sustainability, she explained. Remolador observed there is growing demand and expectations among consumers, as well as among retailers such as Wal-Mart. It’s mostly about avoiding waste and operating more efficiently, but she also added that our current way of life should be more sustainable so humans don’t become extinct. Many companies have sustainability statements on their websites, Remolador observed. When she asked the EAA attendees if their companies had such statements, few hands were raised. One was that of Dennis Smith, Precise Packaging, who offered that “It’s an ongoing process. Precise added solar panels recently. There are also financial benefits to reducing waste and being more efficient.” Heather Sims, Director of Perfumery at Arylessence, Inc., presented Green Initiatives in the Fragrance Industry. In working with marketers and retailers, fragrance suppliers will have to define sustainability, said Sims. Most are implementing programs such as Green Chemistry, solar energy, reducing 20 Spray December 2013 George Buckland, Managing Director of Sales for DS Containers, announced that the National Aerosol Association (NAA) has developed a new mission statement: “To Protect, Promote and Support the Aerosol Industry” in four areas of emphasis: Regulatory, Education, Communication and Membership. Buckland is the current President of NAA and leading the effort. water usage, etc. One area of concern for fragrance suppliers is sourcing natural materials such as lavender and rosewood. Just because something is natural doesn’t mean it’s harvested in a sustainable manner. On the positive side, some materials are actually sourced from waste streams, such as those from citrus juice, as there is a great deal of oil in the peels of lemons, oranges and grapefruit. Another is the paper and wood industry waste stream, as saw dust yields materials used in perfumery. Additionally, there are many man-made molecules from the industrial waste of the energy industry. Before the emphasis on sustainability, the fragrance industry was already supporting farming around the globe. Local economies were helped to develop and the industry supported building infrastructures in these developing communities. Concerning regulations and certifications, Sims said the fragrance industry is impacted significantly, stressing that natural isn’t necessarily safe. The California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) regulations claim that 90% of natural essential oils are VOC’s. The fragrance industry is influenced by the findings of The Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM), a group that tests materials for toxicity, safety and environmental concerns. Sims also explained that Design for the Environment (DfE), a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program, is an extreme process for improving a product’s environmental footprint. However, many natural products such as grapefruit or lavender can have difficulty getting approved. Marcie Ann Natale, Biocatalysis Platform Manager at Eastman Chemical Co., presented A Green Process for Innovative Cosmetic Ingredients. Natale described Remolador Sims
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