Transparency is the New Green

Transparency is defined as the ability to have free and easy access to critical information. Traceability, which goes hand in hand with transparency, is the ability to track something as it moves along the supply chain. Brands need more transparent supply chains for several reasons. Transparency is not only necessary to substantiate environmental claims; it is also essential to protect companies’ reputations and, in many cases, comply with the law. Many factors are driving the trend towards transparency in products and supply chains. Consumers want to know more about the products they buy. They want to know where products are manufactured, the working conditions in which those products are made, and if their products are safe. Labor, including the use of child, forced, and slave labor, environmental disasters, and the safety of products has driven consumers to ask probing questions and demand answers. Brands and companies are implementing policies, processes, and procedures to understand and improve the transparency of their supply chains. But what has changed?