Workshop "How to enhance communication of environmental product information between retailers and their suppliers as well as their consumers?"
The UNEP/SETAC workshop "How to enhance communication of environmental product information between retailers and their suppliers as well as their consumers?" was held on 28 – 29 April 2009 in Wuppertal. This unique event brought together more than 30 key actors, including major retailers and manufacturers. Participants discussed how to improve and facilitate communication of product life cycle information, shared information on life cycle approaches and identified strategies to foster sustainable production and consumption patterns.
The workshop lasted one and a half days. On the first day the focus was on understanding the opportunities behind the life cycle thinking in the retail sector. The second day was dedicated to collating retailers' and manufacturers' perspectives. More than ten different interventions with many examples and insights into the current state of life cycle management opened the doors for an exciting discussion about the challenges of effective communication of product chain information both within the supply chain and to consumers. The workshop was completed with an outlook on future forms of partnership and their possible contribution to an enhanced communication along the value chain.
