10.27.09
Proctor and Gamble and Sustainability
Since my last post, I continued to take inventory of the products I use in my home and have been researching the companies that produce them. My goal is to see if these companies take into consideration sustainability and earth friendly products.
Most of what I use for house cleaning products, as I noted in the last post, were products made by S.C. Johnson Company. The research I did on them ‘passed’ my test of appropriate product research and development and their concern about decreasing their carbon footprint.
Most of the other products I use are produced by Proctor and Gamble Company. These products include: Tide (or Cheer or Gain) and Bounce for laundry; Cascade and Dawn for dish washing. For hygiene products almost all of them were produced by Proctor and Gamble. These include: Scope, Crest, Oral-B, Old Spice products, Secret, Head and Shoulders, Pepto-Bismol and Vicks products, Ivory and Zest soaps, Olay and Cover Girl products, Febreze and Charmin.
What it pretty much boils down to is that for my household, these two companies produce the majority of the products we use. So it has become more important to me that I know these two companies in particular care about the world.
As with S.C. Johnson company, during my research on Proctor and Gamble, I found some very interesting results. First of all, they have a Sustainability Strategy that contains five areas. These include: Products, Operations, Social Responsibility, Employees, and Stakeholders. Their web site has details about each area. I was impressed that not only have the products and operations areas made good progress, but their Social Responsibility area goes far beyond what I ever expected.
The company gears the Social Responsibility part of their strategy toward helping children in need of the basics like clean water, immunizations, health care, etc. These children are in countries that are in dire need of such help. In the last five years, the company has helped 87,000 children. Given that the welfare of children is high on my list, this one area really impressed me. Needless, to say they ‘passed’ my test as well.
Another fact that I didn’t know and probably most ordinary people in the U.S.A. didn’t either, is that Proctor and Gamble was added to the list of the Top 100 Global Sustainable Corporations in 2009. We’re talking global businesses! That’s a great honor. Please go and read more about Proctor and Gamble for yourself at http://www.pg.com.
As for me, I have started reducing, reusing, recycling, and researching companies where I buy my products. I am satisfied with both companies where most of my household and hygiene products are researched and produced. I was pleasantly satisfied that they are already into sustainability with products I use and that I do not need to change any products at this point.
I suppose now I maintain where I am with my recycling effort, but not consider it completed. There are two things I know I need to continue monitoring. One is the temptation to return to old life patterns. (Honestly, it is easier just to throw it in the trash.) The second thing is to research new companies when I consider a new product purchase.
But for S.C. Johnson and Proctor and Gamble, I say, “Keep up the good work for the green earth!” Also, thank you for your efforts in making our earth a better place to live.
