Measuring Progress on Waste, Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Energy Targets

As an environmental leader driving sustainable innovation and business growth, SC Johnson has targets to reduce waste, energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As a family company and charter member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Leader Program, SC Johnson strives for continuous improvement in each of these areas.

How is SC Johnson driving sustainable innovation and business growth?

SC Johnson hoped to reduce air, water and solid waste, reduce GHG emissions and utilize renewable energy by 2013.

In 2008, the company reported it had reached all of these goals a full three years ahead of schedule.

What exactly has SC Johnson achieved with these goals?

SC Johnson has:

• Reduced combined air emissions, water effluents and solid waste by 50 percent as a ratio to production versus its 200 baseline*
  
  
• Achieved its Climate Leaders goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 8 percent on an absolute basis versus its 2005 baseline*
  
  
• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions from all worldwide factories by 12 percent on an absolute basis versus its 2000 baseline* 
  
  
• Sourced 38 percent of its global electricity from renewable energy* 

What investments has the company made to continue the great progress?  

The company’s efforts to develop sustainable business practices include cogeneration and wind power to reusing critical resources. For example, SC Johnson:

• Installed and currently utilizes co-generation turbines at its largest factory in Racine, WI. They use methane from a landfill and natural gas to produce the daily load of electricity and more than half its steam, cutting 52,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year
  
  
• Harnessed wind power at its Michigan factory. It currently generates 46 percent of the electricity to help produce Ziploc while cutting 29,500 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year.
  
  
• Uses the waste by-product of palm oil products at one of its largest Asian factories as a substitute for diesel fuel, cuts greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50 percent.