Chanel has taken the lead in forming a consortium named the Traceability Alliance for Sustainable Cosmetics (TRASCE), consisting of 15 renowned cosmetics manufacturers. Collaborating with Albéa, Groupe Clarins, Cosfibel powered by GPA Global, Dior, the Estée Lauder Cos., L’Occitane en Provence, L’Oréal, Merck, Neyret, Nuxe, Pochet Group, Sensient, Shiseido, and Sisley, TRASCE aims to enhance traceability within the beauty industry.
The establishment of the consortium comes in response to recent disruptive events in supply chains, including health crises, climate-related incidents, and geopolitical challenges. Additionally, regulatory requirements at both domestic and international levels are becoming more stringent. Recognizing these factors, TRASCE states that it is crucial to gain a deeper understanding of the beauty sector’s supply chains, mitigate associated risks, and facilitate the transition towards a more sustainable and resilient model.
One of the primary objectives of TRASCE is to address traceability comprehensively. The founding members of the consortium will collaborate to map their supply chains across the entire value chain, including the identification of ingredients or components used, their origins, supplier activities, places of transformation, and supplier names. This mapping will be accomplished using Transparency-One, a digital platform provided by ISN company, ensuring data ownership, security, and confidentiality for every participating supplier.
In the long term, TRASCE aims to develop a collective approach to analyzing social and environmental risks within supply chains, interpreting the collected data, and defining shared plans for progress. The consortium intends to tackle three key industry challenges: enhancing the collective understanding of cosmetics industry supply chains, assessing associated social and environmental risks, and determining the necessary actions to support suppliers in their transition towards more sustainable practices.
Julien Garry, International Director of Purchasing and Packaging Innovation Development at Chanel Parfums Beauté, highlights the importance of a collective response to the industry’s challenges. Recognizing the limitations of individual efforts to convince distant-tier suppliers to participate in traceability initiatives, Garry proposed that industry stakeholders join forces to swiftly and comprehensively trace their supply chains.
Meghan Ryan, Executive Director of Responsible Sourcing at the Estée Lauder Cos., emphasizes the potential for shared digital tools and close collaboration to enhance transparency and responsible sourcing practices, considering their impact on people and the environment.
