Clare Speed (Reckitt Benckiser plc) kick-started the final session on "A Luxury and a Necessity" (chaired by Shane Smyth himself) with a tour of her company's products -- which most of us just flush down the toilet or pour down the drain -- and explained how sustainability in the light of both economic and enviuronmental challenges could be both innovative and fun. Not just the products but their packaging were the focus of constant re-evaluation, with the shift from plastics to biodegradable carbboard saving some 700 tonnes of plastic a year. Good news for the environment, but bad news for those who sell plastics and their ingredients.

Clare was followed by a lengthy Q&A session that covered issues such as green-washing, comparative advertising, liability for what a sustainable brand can communicate to the outside world. Green-washing, Clare observed, was not worth the risk. Shane then brought the session to a close with a statement of intent that he believed in having an enjoyable evening.