HONORED TO SHARE MY INSIGHTS ON NAVIGATING THE FUTURE OF MANUFACTURING TRANSPARENCY, AS FEATURED IN BEAUTY INDEPENDENT.
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Is Radical Manufacturing Transparency Feasible Or A Fantasy In Clean Beauty 2.0?
Shannaz Schopfer Founder and CEO, The Beauty Architects
Radical transparency is a compelling direction for the industry, but it has to be grounded in the reality of how manufacturing actually works. One of the biggest challenges is that there is no such thing as a global standard. Regulatory frameworks vary dramatically by country, and even the term “clean manufacturing” means something different depending on the region, the retailer and the brand. Before we talk about standards, we have to align on definitions, and, today, the industry isn’t there yet.
Manufacturers also operate with highly specialized, often customized equipment that’s been modified over years to deliver unique textures, formats or efficiencies. That proprietary know-how is exactly what brands rely on us for. Radical transparency cannot come at the expense of innovation or intellectual property. The goal should be meaningful visibility into environmental and process metrics, not exposing the technology that differentiates manufacturers from one another.
Could the industry move toward more standardized reporting on things like energy use, water consumption, waste management and traceability? Absolutely. Many manufacturers already track these internally.
The next step would be establishing a shared reporting format or scorecard that aligns across brands, retailers and regions, something measurable, attainable and flexible enough to accommodate different technologies and scales of operation. Anything beyond that enters the realm of proprietary process, and that’s where transparency becomes unrealistic.
Do consumers care? Not really, at least not at the manufacturing level. Most consumers assume the brand actually makes its own products and don’t always realize that third-party manufacturers are involved. They place the responsibility for due diligence squarely on the brand, not the factory.
What they’re looking for is confidence and credibility, not a behind-the-scenes breakdown of production mechanics. If brands determine that deeper transparency around manufacturing enhances that trust, manufacturers will evolve with them, but it must be a coordinated, collaborative effort across the entire value chain.
In short, transparency is absolutely the future, but it must be built thoughtfully: aligned definitions, respect for innovation, realistic expectations and collaboration at every level.