Green Conscience: Over 220 exhibitors in the Ethical Style Guide at Ambiente 2017

What exactly does ‘sustainable‘ mean? People have been talking about it for years, but the full implications of what it means are not so easy to express in a single sentence. From recycled materials to fair conditions of production, ‘sustainability‘ covers a whole range of criteria.

Criteria that more and more people, who would like to be able to buy with a clear conscience, are increasingly conscious of. Reason enough for the international consumer-goods fair, Ambiente, once again, to devote a second edition of the Ethical Style Guide to this subject, so as to offer buyers from all over the world an orientation guide in this new and pioneering market segment.

An independent adjudicating panel has chosen the exhibitors that are included according to six criteria: Eco-friendly materials, eco-optimised production, fair & social production, re-upcycling design, handmade manufacturing and sustainable innovation. The Ethical Style Guide for 2017 lists over 220 companies with sustainable production methods from 50 different countries.

At the last Ambiente a year ago, there were 179 exhibitors from 41 countries. New companies attending in 2017 are exhibitors such as Green Glass from Chile, Les Toiles du Large from France and Stand der Dinge from Germany.

2016 Ambiente

“After the very positive reception at the last Ambiente, we are again also going to offer the Ethical Style Guide as a compendium of sustainable consumer goods at the upcoming event. We are simply trying to offer our buyers orientation and transparency in this market of sustainable products, which is as complex as it is vitally important for the future,” says Nicolette Naumann, Vice President, Ambiente. The Guide shows, at a glance, which companies’ production methods fit with which of the six criteria.

The adjudicating panel consists of experts such as Rudi Dalvai from the World Trade Organization, Kees Bronk from the CBI (Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries), Lutz Dietzold from the German Design Council and Dominik Müller from the Rhineland branch of the German testing organisation, TÜV. And Gerhard Friesacher from Changemaker AG, Max Gilgenmann, an expert on sustainability criteria for textiles, Mimi Sewalski from the online shop Avocadostore.de and Sabine Meyer from Side by Side are also all members of the panel. “I am delighted, that Messe Frankfurt is giving such a high profile to this major issue of sustainability with their Ethical Style Guide. The Guide is an excellent aid for aware buyers trying to orientate themselves in the field and, in ideal circumstances, is a spur for large companies, too, to develop some - or more - sustainable products” says Meyer.

2016 Ambiente

In the exhibition, the stands of all the exhibitors, which have been accepted for inclusion in the Guide, are identified with the ‘Ethical Style’ label. In addition, these companies can already be found in the online exhibitor search facility: www.ambiente.messefrankfurt.com.

In contrast to various organic seals of approval, which are available for, amongst other things, foodstuffs or natural cosmetics, the Ethical Style Guide is not about certification; instead, it represents a selection from amongst exhibitors with sustainability credentials, made by the experts on a specialist adjudicating panel.

2016 Ambiente

Source: Ambiente

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