Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important theme at the Ambiente, Christmasworld and Creativeworld consumer goods fairs. With the Ethical Style Special Interest and four Ethical Style Spots on the exhibition grounds, exhibitors have the opportunity to present their particularly environmentally friendly, ethically produced and sustainable products to the trade fair public.

Upcycling, recycling and resource conservation - sustainability is playing an increasingly important role in all areas of life. This is also shown by KPMG's Consumer Barometer from 2022: 81 percent of Germans rate the topic as important or very important – similar to other European countries such as Italy, Great Britain or Switzerland. In the search for more environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives, many people are becoming more critical in their purchasing decisions and are placing increasing value on the origin, material and manufacturing conditions of products. In order to do justice to the increasing sustainability awareness of consumers, retailers must also rethink and bring new ideas into play. “The consumer goods industry is in a state of upheaval - our trade fairs clearly reflect this. The fact that an increasing number of manufacturers are taking up the aspect of sustainability is particularly pleasing, because environmentally conscious and sustainable business is not only future-oriented, but also critical to success. With their innovative products, they present exciting new approaches as well as current sustainability trends. The commitment of our exhibitors is groundbreaking here," says Julia Uherek, Director Consumer Goods Fairs.

The various aspects of sustainability are bundled into categories at the Frankfurt consumer goods fairs as part of the Special Interest Ethical Style. The programme identifies exhibitors whose environmentally friendly and ethically produced products are considered particularly sustainable and thus makes it easier for visitors to find products that are relevant to them. This year, for the first time, the tried and tested Special Interest Ethical Style will also be available at the Christmasworld and Creativeworld trade fairs.

Participants can thus expect a wide range of sustainable products: From handmade paper and gift ribbons made of organic cotton to recyclable tableware: at this year's consumer goods fairs, the different facets of sustainability will be presented to the trade public in a variety of ways.

Until November 2022, all exhibitors at the three consumer goods fairs had the opportunity to apply for the Special Interest Ethical Style. The selection of the corresponding companies and products was made by an independent jury of international experts, who examined the exhibitors on the basis of various criteria. Applicants could be assigned to the following categories: Eco-Friendly Material, Eco-Optimised Production, Fair & Social Production, Re-/Upcycling Design, Handmade Manufacturing and Sustainable Innovation.

The jury has made its decision and the socially responsible companies rated as particularly ecological have been determined: a total of 305 exhibitors were able to convince the jury with their sustainable products and were awarded accordingly. The Ethical Style by Ambiente label was awarded to 247 exhibitors. At Christmasworld, 40 companies will present their sustainable products; 18 exhibitors have been awarded the Ethical Style by Creativeworld label by the jury. The marked companies can be identified immediately via the online exhibitor search by means of an Ethical Style mark and will be labelled accordingly on site during the fairs.

One of the exhibitors awarded the Ethical Style by Ambiente label is Soruka, a zero waste company that uses upcycled leather to create unique handmade bags. "Soruka combines fair and social manufacturing, recycled materials, zero waste and craftsmanship with unique design, showing how sustainability can be thought of holistically," explains jury member Mimi Sewalski, highlighting the special character of the company, whose products will be on display in Hall 4.2, K41.

The wishes of all artists and creative people are fulfilled by Marabu in Hall 1.2, A51 with its environmentally friendly creative colours and at the same time offers a sustainable alternative to many conventional creative products. "Marabu takes responsibility and impresses with consistent decisions for more climate protection," said Sabine Meyer, member of the jury that awarded the exhibitor with the Special Interest Ethical Style by Creativeworld. "The company has been climate-neutral since 2021, and the remaining CO2 emissions are to be reduced further. With the new Project Green and the Marabu GREEN alkyd paint, this will also be increasingly visible in the trade."

Sustainability is also the focus of Kerzenfarm, which is exhibiting in Hall 4.1, G11 at Christmasworld: "Candles made from sustainable raw materials, handmade in northern Germany. Kerzenfarm is a company that takes a holistic approach to sustainability", says Lutz Dietzold from the jury.

The growing interest on the part of exhibitors and visitors in the subject of sustainability will also be brought into focus in 2023 with the four Ethical Style Spots, which will be held on the exhibition grounds for the first time this year. The four special presentations - one each at Christmasworld (Hall 6.1) and Creativeworld (Hall 1.1) and two at Ambiente (Galleria 0 centre & Foyer Hall 3.1 Via Mobile) - will show how sustainability and design can be combined in the various products. At each of the four spots, there will be six theme islands based on the various categories, which will present particularly sustainable products and thus provide new impulses and inspiration for the point-of-sale.

Each spot also presents suitable sustainable offers of all fairs and thus encourages new assortments and business contacts.

From February 2023, the leading international consumer goods fairs Ambiente, Christmasworld and Creativeworld will be held simultaneously at the Frankfurt exhibition centre.