The Color of the Future

Having Irish ancestry, I have an affinity for "green." No rolling eyes just yet; I am the first to admit that although I have high interest in sustainability and concern for our environment, the word can be like that same song you hear on the radio and switch off. This is an unfortunate by-product of a fad, which can ultimately be its downfall as people become jaded from overuse (can you say low carb?).

However, when it comes to being green, we don't have an option. There cannot be a downfall of the awareness and behavioral changes recently inspired. And while some companies are guilty of false marketing, the majority are building sustainability into their culture or expanding on established practices.

Sustainability can be defined as: "Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs." As you have seen in past issues of CGT (read our March cover story with New Belgium Brewing), you will hear from speakers at our Consumer Goods Growth & Innovation Forum and Fall Conference, and will read throughout this issue, from mid-market companies, like Burt's Bees (Page 13) and TerraCycle (Page 14), to Tier-1 companies, like Kraft (Page 18) and Heinz (Page 20), the industry is making strides in this area.

Also, read our special report on green packaging. And, check out custom research (Page 21) to better understand where your company stands with regard to sustainability versus our survey respondents.

Welcome to the first digital issue of CGT; we hope you will review all of its content, but please ... don't print it out!