Julia Hailes MBE - Proctor & Gamble

EXPERT ADVISORY PANEL ON DETERGENTS (FABRIC & HOMECARE) (2007-2010)

Advice on Detergents

The first meeting of the Fabric & Homecare expert advisory committee took place in March 2007, at a splendid location outside of Brussels. The idea is to provide an external perspective and help identify emerging environmental trends. Although the focus is on detergents and cleaning products, we have had presentations from other sectors within P&G, including batteries. This team have now met three times – most recently in March 2009 - so we have been able to see progress being made on the issues we’ve raised. And the idea of an advisory panel have been picked up by the Babycare team at P&G – see below.

P&G have a website called Science in the Box, which provides information on their safety and sustainability approach.

BABY CARE PRODUCTS

I first got involved in the debate about disposable nappies vs re-usables in the early 1990s. The comparisons were being made in eco-labelling research and I was sitting on the UK Eco-Labelling Board. The over-whelming concern about disposables was the amount of waste they produce. Local authorities have teamed up with campaigning organizations to encourage people towards re-usables.

But the issue is far from clear cut. Whilst disposables nappies do produce more household waste, re-usables can have a bigger carbon footprint because of all the washing that’s needed. And one issue that’s often over-looked in this debate is about nappy rash. The absorbent gel in disposable nappies is incredibly efficient, which means there’s less moisture in contact with the babies skin, and therefore less nappy rash. This could mean using less nappies during a babies lifetime.

I sit on the P&G baby care expert advisory panel, which has formally met a couple of times, most recently in August 2009. I’ve also been involved in numerous discussions on this issue both at P&G and with outside stakeholders. And in September 2009, I was asked to speak at the trade association conference on disposable hygiene products, in Malta – see below.

Baby Care Products

BRIEFING PAPER ON CARBON FOOTPRINT AND CARBON LABELLING

Procter & Gamble asked me to write a briefing paper on carbon footprinting, which I think is a good thing and carbon labeling which I don't. There’s also a video of me talking about this issue.

"Thanks for the excellent factsheet on carbon footprinting and labeling - it's great work!"

Ioannis Hatzopoulos, P&G - Dec08

P&G SPEECHES & EARTHDAY EVENTS

I've spoken at a couple of P&G Earthday events aimed at promoting greater awareness amongst their staff.

"Let me thank you for a really great and inspirational presentation at P&G Earthday in Geneva."

Apr09 – Sustainability and recession…

In June 2007, I gave an internal presentation to P&G staff titled ‘What’s the future of green washing?’. When researching The New Green Consumer Guide, I concluded that reducing the temperature of your wash is the biggest issue in relation to clothes washing. P&G’s ‘Turn to 30C campaign promoted through Ariel is a step in the right direction. Also see My Blog.

I also chaired a session at Procter & Gambles Consumer Association day, attended by consumer organisations from around Europe.

P&G Earthday Events

TRADE ASSOCIATIONS – AISE & EDANA

AISE & EDANA

P&G are members of numerous trade associations. A couple of them asked me to speak at their annual conferences.

In June 2008, AISE - the European Soaps & Detergents Manufacturer’s trade association invited me to speak at their conference, which was being held near Dubrovnik in Croatia. The feedback was that my presentation was ‘well appreciated’ and that ‘it was good to have some challenging views’ – my brief had been to be provocative! See Blog for more.

In September 2009, I was invited by EDANA – the European Association for disposable hygiene products – to their event held in Malta. My speech highlighted concerns about our disposable society, explained the public confusion over what is the greenest nappy option and looked at whether eco-labelling will help or hinder environmental improvements.

“With her somewhat challenging lateral thinking and, 'out of the box' approach, Julia Hailes has brought to our audience and our industry the useful element of destabilisation it needed to avoid too much complacency and closed-loop reflection…”

Pierre Wiertz, General Manager of EDANA,
Organiser of OUTLOOK 09 Personal Care Products conference Sep09