Reducing our footprint one step at a time
As we approached 2020, we had significant progress towards the goals we set in 2010 around climate, water and waste. As we are well on our way to achieving these goals and closing out 2020, we are now raising the bar with even bolder commitments, called Ambition 2030.
P&G sustainability goals for 2030
In 2018, we released new sustainability goals called Ambition 2030. These wide-reaching goals have one purpose in mind: to enable and inspire a positive impact on our environment and society while creating value for us as a company and you as a consumer.
In an effort to address two of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges – finite resources and growing consumption – we’ve focused our ambitious goals in these specific areas.
Click to jump to each section.
Ambition 2030: Brands making a positive impact
In a world where sustainable lifestyles have become more important than ever, we need brands to meet performance expectations while also helping to solve some of the most complex challenges facing our world. That’s why we’re working to make social and environmental responsibility an integral component of every brand in our portfolio. Here’s how.
Goal: 100% of leadership brands will enable and inspire responsible consumption
We want all our leadership brands to constantly grow and create value while also having a measurable positive impact on society and our environment.
The Ariel ambition is to re-invent a better clean that consumes 50% fewer resources in key impact areas such as energy and water.
Herbal Essences commits to enabling everyone to experience the positive power of nature, supporting biodiversity for the benefit of people and the planet.
Goal: Reduce our use of virgin petroleum plastic in packaging by 50%
The 3 R’s – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – all play a role in our packaging strategy. Reducing the amount of virgin plastic by half by 2030 is an ambitious goal we plan to achieve via light-weighting, increasing recycled content (PCR), driving conversion to more concentrated product forms and, when it makes sense, using alternative materials. We estimate this will avoid the use of over 300,000 tonnes of virgin plastic.
We are also committed to achieve 100% recyclable or reusable packaging by 2030.
Making our packages with a next life in mind, continuously innovating with recycled plastic (PCR) and innovating with refillable and reusable packages will help to reduce our environmental footprint.
But the unique challenge lies in the remaining fraction of our packaging, because it uses materials and formats in much smaller amounts. By 2030, we’ll come up with solutions through both technical and commercial innovation.
2020 goal: Ensure 90% of product packaging is recyclable.
As of 2019, 88% of P&G packages are considered recyclable.
In partnership with TerraCycle and SUEZ, we produced the world’s first recyclable shampoo bottle made with up to 25% recycled beach plastic.
Lenor will introduce 50% post-consumer resin into all transparent sizes in Europe, enabling the use of more than 2,700 tonnes of recycled plastic next year.
Goal: Build even greater trust through transparency
We know consumers want to know as much as they can about our products & the ingredients that go in them. That’s why we’re continuing to provide transparency around our ingredient innovation and safety science.
Ariel purclean™ is certified 65% bio-based, with 100% recyclable packaging and is produced at a plant that sends zero manufacturing waste to landfill.
TerraCycle’s Loop tests reusable packaging
In 2019, we joined test programmes in New York and Paris with TerraCycle’s groundbreaking Loop platform, a new circular shopping model that offers a variety of household favourite products in durable, refillable packaging. Once the containers are empty, Loop collects and cleans the packaging, which can then be put back in the circulation loop for reuse.
Saving energy at home
About 80% of a washing machine’s energy consumption comes from heating the water. By delivering a superior performance in quick, cold cycles, Ariel has been at the forefront of driving change, helping people get the clean they need while saving time, money and energy.
In 2010, we set a goal to turn 70% of all washing machine loads globally into energy-efficient cycles by 2020. We’re pleased to report that we’ve reached our goal one year ahead of schedule.
Ambition 2030: Reducing our supply chain footprint
Across our global operations, we are making intentional choices to reduce the footprint of our suppliers, buyers and manufacturing sites – sourcing sustainable materials and exploring new business models to drive circular solutions.
Goal: Reduce our footprint and aim for circular solutions based on regeneration and restoration
- 100% renewable electricity and cut GHG emissions in half at P&G sites.
- Our sites will deliver a 35% increase in water efficiency and source at least five billion litres of water from circular sources.
- Advance at least 10 significant supply chain partnerships to drive circularity on climate, water or waste.
We are now purchasing 100% renewable electricity in the US, Canada and Western Europe.
All of our manufacturing sites in the UK are Zero Manufacturing Waste To Landfill.
Goal: Protect and enhance the forests we depend on
We use wood pulp in some of our products and we have rigorous policies in place to make sure we’re sourcing responsibly from forests certified to the highest standards. But as we look to the future, we want to increase our use of Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certified fibre to 75% across all Family Care brands by 2025.
Collaborate with numerous organisations to increase the global area of certified forests while strengthening certification systems.
Lead the charge in efforts to develop products with a Forest Positive approach. Inspired by the World Wildlife Fund, this practice will deliver health benefits that will sustain the forests we depend on.
Each Bounty sheet is 2X more absorbent than the next leading custom-size-it brand. 100% of the wood fibre used to make our paper is from responsibly managed forests.*
Puffs are made from softwood and hardwood fibres that were produced to meet international standards for responsible forestry.*
Goal: Improve livelihoods of palm farmers
As members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, we’re committed to sourcing our palm and palm derivatives responsibly. In areas like Malaysia and Indonesia – home to our largest supply chain and a high density of small farmers – we’re implementing local programmes to build responsible agricultural practices. This will help small farmers increase their yield while maintaining P&G sustainability standards.
Ambition 2030: A society working together
We’ve put more environmental sustainability goals in place to protect our water and find ways to repurpose waste. But we also know we can’t do it alone. Solving the biggest challenges we face will require collaboration, which is why we are focused on creating partnerships that will enable people, the planet and our business to thrive.
Goal: Create solutions so no packaging finds its way to the sea
We’re saddened by what’s happening to the world’s oceans. That’s why we’ve included a plastics pledge in our 2030 goals. Internally, we’re working on holistic solutions so that no P&G packaging finds its way to the sea. We’re also partnering with organisations that have the same goal in mind, and are already finding ways to stem the flow of plastic into the world’s oceans, such as the Trash Free Seas Alliance in South East Asia.
Goal: Protect water for people and nature
Being responsible with the water we depend on is critical to the future of our planet. There’s a diverse mix of landscapes, cultures, economies and climates that makes water issues complex and requires solutions unique to each river basin.
We clearly defined our priority basins, the partners we’ll work with and the actions needed to address the water challenges specific to each basin. We’ll continue to make progress with the solutions to increase their resiliency.
Cascade Platinum Action Pacs clean stuck-on food so well you can save more than 75 litres of water per load.**
Households using Swiffer Wet or WetJet can save more than 264 litres of water per year compared to the standard mop and bucket.
The 50-litre home concept
Spearheaded by P&G, this brings together companies, policymakers, influencers and communities to develop and scale innovations for the home that help solve the urban water crisis and at the same time address household energy consumption and associated GHG emissions.
Goal: Advance recycling solutions for absorbent hygiene products
Who would’ve thought you could recycle used nappies? Invented by our joint venture partner Fater in Italy, we found a way. The breakthrough technology recycles used absorbent hygiene products to create new products and added-value materials. Partnering with cities, waste operators and other partners, we plan to have this recycling practice operational in 10 cities across the globe by 2030.
Pampers used this technology to turn used nappies into bottle caps and viscose, a semi-synthetic fibre.
Ambition 2030: Integrate sustainability in our workplace
Our organisation has made tremendous progress towards our goals, and that’s driven largely in part by the passion and ingenuity of our employees. If we want any chance of reaching our 2030 goals, we know how important it is to keep our people engaged and equipped.
Integrate social and environmental sustainability as a key strategy in our business plans.
Educate employees across all levels.
Reward progress and integrate recognition in employee performance assessments.
See the latest in our environmental sustainability efforts
9 January 2018
German sustainability partner to launch first Head & Shoulders shampoo bottle with 20% beach plastic
Our Head & Shoulders brand kicked off 2018 with a new collaboration with an industry partner.
Our work doesn’t stop here
To get a more in-depth look at the details of our P&G sustainability efforts, download our 2020 Citizenship Report. For more information on our 2030 goals, download our Ambition 2030 Plan. This is just the start of our journey towards progress in our environmental sustainability goals. And, as we work, we’ll continue to identify partners and actions we plan to take, and share our progress with you each year.
History of P&G sustainability
To see the full history of our environmental sustainability efforts, have a look at our timeline.
Learn about our latest efforts
- Global Diversity List: P&G Recognised Twice for our Commitment to Equality & Inclusion
We are delighted to announce that P&G has been named twice on the Global Diversity List 2020. The list features individuals and corporate network groups that remain committed to establishing a fair and equitable playing field for everyone, and recognises
All goal numbers are representative of progress since 2010.
* Not available in the UK
** Pre-rinsing dishes prior to loading the dishwasher uses up to 75 litres of water. (Source: Energy Star energystar.gov)
