A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR P&G The global consumer products giant Procter & Gamble has this year expanded its sustainability goals across its entire operations. In the future it will continue to focus on creating value whilst conserving valuable resources. Industry Europe looks at what this renewed focus on environmental protection will involve, as well as casting an eye over some of the group’s most exciting product launches over the past year or so.
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ounded in 1837, today Procter & Gamble is a truly global phenomenon, with operations in more than 70 countries and serving more than 4.8 billion people around the world. It has one of the strongest portfolios of quality leadership brands, including Always, Ariel, Braun, Gillette, Lenor, Olay and Pantene to name just a few. This year, the group announced its plans to sell off its Duracell battery business as part of a long-term plan to give it a sharper focus. This brand was acquired as part of Gillette in 2005 and has healthy annual sales of $2 billion. But it was thought that it looked out of 100 Industry Europe
place next to the company’s other consumer care products such as shampoos, detergents, paper towels and so on.
Sustainability is key In addition to continued brand development, the future for P&G will see an increased focus on sustainability issues. To this end, in October this year (2014) it announced the expansion of its sustainability goals to continue creating value with consumer-preferred brands and products whilst conserving resources, protecting the environment and improving social conditions for those who need it most.
Since 2010 P&G has been guided by its vision to achieve 100 per cent renewable energy use, 100 per cent renewable or recyclable materials for all products and packaging, and zero consumer and manufacturing waste going to landfills. Its recent announcement has seen the addition of new goals for 2020, with an emphasis on water conservation and product packaging. For the first of these, it is looking to reduce the water used at its manufacturing facilities by an additional 20 per cent per unit of production, as well as providing one billion people with access to water efficient
