Manufacturers in diverse categories are responding to the green agenda with products and packaging that are better for the environment, which reduce the quantity of materials used and respond to ethical and social issues.

In cosmetics and personal care products there is a clear move towards more natural and 'greener' products - often using botanical and herbal ingredients - as well as biodegradable and ethical packaging. One of the latest launches from Cargo Cosmetics in North America meets environmental criteria in a highly imaginative way.

The company's Plant Love lipstick range is said to have an innovative botanical formula containing Orchid Complex and meadowfoam seed oil. Like many other naturally positioned cosmetics, it is free from mineral oils and petroleum-based ingredients.

The lipsticks are presented in tube packages made from PLA (polylactic acid), a biodegradable material derived from corn starch, a renewable and 'greenhouse gas neutral' alternative to oil-based plastics. PLA is also used in beverage packaging - for example for Innocent smoothies and Belu mineral water in the UK, as an alternative to PET. Marks & Spencer's sandwich packages also feature a clear window made from PLA. But the environmental credentials don't stop there. The tube is placed in a box made from recycled paper, which is embedded with seeds - after use this can be moistened and planted into soil and the seeds will grow into flowers.

Cargo products sell at a premium to many brands - the lipsticks are $20 each for a 4g tube - but $2 from each purchase goes to St Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Various colour shades are available including five designed by celebrity US actresses including Evangeline Lilly and Lindsay Lohan, while others are said to be inspired by beautiful places such as Yellowstone in the US or Sagarmatha in the Himalayas. The products have attractive, decorative designs and communicate their positioning through subtle on-pack statements such as 'botanical lipstick, earth-friendly packaging', and 'plant love... grow tomorrow'.