CINCINNATI: Procter & Gamble, the FMCG business, claims to have achieved many of its 2020 environmental sustainability goals, and has announced new, broad-reaching goals for 2030.

These include having all packaging be recyclable or reusable, halving greenhouse gas emissions and purchasing enough renewable electricity to power all its plants. It also intends to source at least 5 billion liters of water from circular sources.

“We believe P&G can be a force for good and a force for growth, and we are taking a more deliberate approach to delighting consumers while enabling responsible consumption,” said David Taylor, P&G’s chairman, president and chief executive officer.

“Consumers expect the brands they trust to deliver superior performance and to also help solve some of the most complex challenges facing our world,” he added. “Our global reach, our understanding of the five billion consumers we serve, and our innovation capabilities give us a unique ability to make a positive difference.”

Towards the end of last year, for example, P&G partnered with recycling expert TerraCycle to create the Fairy Ocean Plastic bottle, made completely from post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic (90%) and ocean plastic (10%) collected from beaches and the sea.

Earlier in 2017 it also launched a Head & Shoulders shampoo bottle made from up to 25% post-consumer recycled (PCR) beach plastic.

“Increasing the use of recycled plastic in the packaging of our flagship brands makes it easier for consumers to choose more sustainable products, without any trade-offs,” said Virginie Helias, P&G Vice President of Global Sustainability.

“We know P&G alone does not have all the answers,” she added. “It will take partnerships and collaboration to make meaningful progress and our brands will develop innovations to take responsible consumption to the next level.”

Other major brands are also attempting to address the issue of packaging waste. In January Coca-Cola launched its World Without Waste initiative which aims to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle or can it sells globally by 2030;

P&G also highlighted the progress it has made in reaching its sustainability goals for 2020, including reducing absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 16% since 2010 (against a 2020 target of 30%), reducing water use in manufacturing facilities by 27% in the same period (compared to a 20% target) and achieving zero manufacturing waste to landfill for more than 80% of manufacturing sites (2020 target 100%).

Sourced from Procter & Gamble, edie; additional content by WARC staff