J&J halfway to meeting sustainable goal with green portfolio
According to the industry veteran, Earthwards will never appear as a logo on a product label, but is rather an internal process with tools and resources that drive the type of sustainable product development stakeholders expected of the company.
“The process is intended to support and encourage sustainable product development throughout the Johnson & Johnson family of companies,” says a company spokesperson.
“With these [latest] 19 additions, the total number of products that have been recognized with the Earthwards recognition stands at 30 today, which is halfway,” they added.
Must have attributes
To be considered for the Earthwards recognition, the cosmetic company says a product must achieve a greater than 10 percent improvement in at least three of the following areas; packaging reduction, energy reduction, waste reduction, water reduction, positive social impact/benefit and product innovation.
“Our customers expect us to address our environmental impacts, as well as provide them with environmentally-preferable product offerings that align with their values.”
Recent additions
Sundown Sun Care Products is one of the most recent J&J product lines to undergo packaging changes to incorporate more renewable materials, including a combination of sugar cane-based and post-consumer recycled polyethylene rather than petroleum-derived PE.
According to the company, “during the 2011/2012 summer season it is estimated that Sundown will avoid releasing approximately 630 tons of CO2.”
"Earthwards is creating a turning point in our evolution as a sustainable company, and now we will build on the early successes we've had since launching the program just three short years ago," says Al Iannuzzi, senior director of Worldwide Health & Safety.
