P&G makes environmental commitment

Procter & Gamble, the largest consumer packaged goods company in the world, has unveiled a series of suitably big 10-year goals as part of its long-term sustainability vision.

During a web and phone conference held earlier today, P&G CEO Bob McDonald and VP global sustainability Len Sauers announced the company’s long-tern vision, which will include powering its plants with 100% renewable energy, eliminating consumer and manufacturing waste going to landfills and designing products that maximize the conservation of resources.

While this long-terms vision may take decades to fully achieve, P&G has set out more specific 10-year goals. The company’s 2020 goals include: replace 25% of petroleum-based materials with sustainably sourced renewable materials; use cold water washing for 70% of washing machine loads; reduce packaging by 20%; conduct pilot studies to understand how to eliminate landfill waste; and have 30% of energy in plants be renewable.

P&G also announced a new three-year partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The two companies will work together to address sustainable production and consumption, with joint projects around issues such as renewable materials and on-ground conservation, according to Carter Roberts, CEO of WWF, who began his career at P&G 30 years ago.

‘No one company can have all the answers,’ says McDonald, ‘but we need to be part of the solution.’