Proctor & Gamble targets huge reduction in manufacturing waste

Procter & Gamble (P&G) has announced its intention to reduce manufacturing waste to less than 0.5% of total waste to landfill and cut consumer use packaging by 20%, by 2020.


The new targets follow in the wake of the company’s announcement that it is on track to meet or exceed all of its five-year sustainability goals, set back in 2007. Other 2020 goals include replacing 25% of petroleum-based materials with sustainably sourced renewable materials in products and sourcing 30% of power to its plants from renewable energy.

P&G’s 2011 sustainability report Commitment to Everyday Life released today (October 12) outlines the company’s global progress over the past year in decreasing the carbon footprint of its products and operations.

Since 2007, P&G has made several product and packaging advancements including compacting its entire portfolio of US and Canadian powder laundry detergents by 33%. This has resulted in less packaging, less waste and fewer delivery trucks on the road.

The company has also expanded its renewables programme, notably the use of plant-based plastic in its packaging. The material made from sugarcane – a first for the mass hair care industry – debuted in P&G’s Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion collection last April in Western Europe, and is expanding to North America in the autumn.

The company’s long-term vision is to use 100% renewable or recycled materials for all products and packaging, have zero consumer and manufacturing waste to landfill, power all plants with 100% renewable energy and to have no fossil-based CO2 or toxic emissions.

Maxine Perella

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