Procter & Gamble Company released its 15th annual Sustainability Report, demonstrating its commitment to helping people around the world live better and more sustainably through an integrated approach to environmental and social responsibility. The report includes P&G’s sustainability results from the past fiscal year and progress updates on the company’s environmental and social responsibility goals for 2020.
The report found that 8 sites in the United Kingdom & Ireland and over 50 worldwide have attained zero manufacturing waste to landfill. The rest of P&G’s sites in the UK and Ireland are very close; in overall tonnage, P&G UK and Ireland’s 15 sites are at 94.4% recycling.
Irwin Lee, Vice President and Managing Director for P&G UK and Ireland said, “Through innovative approaches to waste management and a commitment to conserving resources and using renewable resources, we have made meaningful progress in reducing our environmental footprint across the UK and Ireland.”
He added: “Whether it is efficiency savings in manufacturing, or redesigning supply chains, or creating products which are more sustainable without a trade-off on price or performance for consumers, sustainability is embedded in our business model. You don’t sacrifice profitability to deliver sustainability; the two go hand in hand. Our programs are good for business, good for our customers and good for the environment. We’re pleased with the progress we’ve made towards our ambitious goals. There’s still a long way to go but we’re committed to getting there.”
The Gillette manufacturing facility in Reading is leading the way in implementing innovative and cost-effective solutions for the disposal of manufacturing waste. The shaving foam waste is used in compost, which is then used to grow turf for commercial use. The foam keeps the compost wet for optimal bacteria activity and the compost improves the soil, so the grass is higher quality and grows faster.
“P&G’s commitment to meeting our sustainability goals year over year not only positively impacts people and the environment, but continues to evolve our business and support our top and bottom lines,” said Len Sauers, Vice President of Global Sustainability at P&G. “Every day, we’re inspired to develop innovative products that help people live more sustainably, while delivering cost savings through operational eco-efficiencies.”
The report published today shares specific progress in P&G’s sustainability focus areas, which include: Conservation of Resources, Renewable Resources, Worth from Waste, Comforts of Home and Health and Hygiene. This year, P&G reported absolute reductions in waste, water, CO2 and energy – all four of the company’s major manufacturing footprints. Highlights from this year’s report include:
Conserving Resources; Decreasing Environmental Impact
- Through consumer education and partnerships with washing machine suppliers, P&G helped enable the number of global laundry loads washed in cold water to increase from 38% to 50%. The progress was mainly driven by an increase of cold water washing in Western Europe, where P&G launched strong communication programs. All versions of Ariel, the company’s leading laundry detergent in Europe, now carry a “30 °C” icon to encourage consumers to wash in cold.
- The Gillette Venus and Olay razor packaging has been redesigned to be both cost- effective and better for the environment. Made from plastic (PET), recycled plastic (rPET), and paperboard, it is recyclable and uses over 29% less plastic than before. Packages are now packed more densely in distribution, while still reducing pallet weight, generating significant cost savings and decreasing carbon emissions from transportation.
Finding Worth in Waste; Using Renewable Energy
- Over the past fiscal year, more than 99.35 percent of all materials entering P&G plants were beneficially used in products and through recycling, reuse, and conversion of waste to energy. The following sites in the UK and Ireland now send zero waste to landfill :
– Newcastle Cobalt Offices (commercial offices)
– Newcastle Seaton Delaval Manufacturing Facility (fragrances, beauty products)
– Newcastle Innovation Centre (laundry R&D site)
– Bournemouth Distribution Centre (distribution)
– Nenagh Manufacturing Facility, Ireland (beauty manufacturing)
– Reading Manufacturing Facility (Gillette manufacturing)
– Reading Distribution Centre (distribution)
– Skelmersdale Distribution Centre (distribution)
Since 2010, P&G has reduced manufacturing waste by 56 percent per unit of production – more than double the Company’s original goal.
- P&G’s plant in Nenagh, Ireland continues to excel in conservation efforts. The site has focused on installing energy efficient lighting, using ultrasonic detection to identify and repair compressed air leaks, and eliminating steam leaks to drive both energy and cost savings. Since 2010, the site reduced energy consumption by 12%, CO2 emissions by 16%, disposed waste by 97%, and water consumption by 27%.
Fostering Social Development by Investing in Communities
- Since 2006, Pampers’ funding has helped to protect 100 million women and their babies against maternal and neonatal tetanus—a preventable disease that claims the lives of 58,000 babies within their first month of life. The Pampers-UNICEF partnership in Europe has already helped eliminate MNT in ten countries. Pampers is committed to support UNICEF in their efforts to eliminate MNT from the face of the earth.
“All of these efforts mark significant progress through partnerships toward helping make every day better for people and the planet,” said Sauers. “We look forward to deepening our existing partnerships and forging new ones as we work toward our goals and the future of 7 billion people