If executives at U.S. companies think that they've got regulatory headaches, they should have a word with their European brethren. Many of the issues and controversies surrounding our industry - chemophobia, recyclability and renewable resources, among others - got their start in Europe. And more green initiatives - both good and bad - are on their way. For instance, while European manufacturers have been warning about the implications of REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of CHemicals), it has only been during the past year or so that U.S. companies have heeded their warning and started taking a hard look at the issue. Good thing, because most observers expect the first wave of REACH initiatives to come into play in Spring 2007.
Beyond regulatory mandates, marketers are doing their part by reducing their energy use, rolling out more environmentally-friendly products and even buying into the notion of green - witness L'Oréal's $1.1 billion acquisition of The Body Shop.But environmental initiatives are only part of the story when it comes to the news and issues surrounding the leading players in the household and personal products industry.