Deep Impact: Tapping into the power of brands to drive positive change

From rising plastic pollution to the fight against malaria, the world faces urgent challenges. Over 600,000 people still die from malaria every year. Up to 10 million metric tons of plastic end up in our oceans annually. And in many cities, a lack of green space – essential for good health – puts well-being at risk.

Tackling problems of this scale is a complex process that requires systemic changes beyond any single company's efforts. It will take everyone – consumers, businesses and government – working together to create the systemic changes needed to address them. However, consumer goods companies and their brands have a unique role to play when it comes to driving long-term change.

With their reach and creativity, brands can turn bold ideas into real-world impact. That’s where purpose-driven brands come in. When brands lead with values and back it up with action, they can spark movements, shift behavior and help build healthier communities.

Here’s how three SC Johnson brands are using their purpose to achieve positive change with campaigns that connect with people, raise awareness and inspire action:

Lots of Compassion 

Mrs. Meyer’s®, the garden-inspired brand from SC Johnson, believes gardening is more than planting flowers -- it’s about growing kindness, community and connection. That’s the heart of their Lots of Compassion initiative, which celebrates and supports people using green spaces to bring care into their communities.

The initiative provides funding, tools, and know-how to help communities transform empty lots into thriving gardens. It’s a powerful solution for a surprising problem: roughly 15% of land in U.S. cities sits empty or abandoned. This vacant space can have detrimental effects on communities, such as reduced mental and physical well-being, diminished community trust and other negative outcomes.

Since its inception in 2023, Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day's Lots of Compassion initiative has transformed 20 vacant lots into community gardens across the country – from Chicago, Illinois to Pahoa, Hawaii – impacting more than 45,000 community members and turning over 70,000 square feet of land into thriving green spaces. The initiative is projected to transform 50 gardens by 2027, benefiting more than 110,000 people.

You can learn more about Lots of Compassion grant recipients and the impact the grant has had on their communities here.

Refillution:

According to the World Economic Forum, half of global plastic production is for single-use. Reusing just 10% of plastic products, however, would reduce the amount of plastic waste reaching the ocean by 50%. Additionally, an Ellen MacArthur Foundation study noted that the widespread adoption of returning and reusing plastic packaging could help to cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 69%.

Enter Ecover’s Refillution.

Ecover has been pushing the refill revolution for over 40 years – before it was trendy. Today, their Refill on the Go program partners with European retailers to make reuse easy. Shoppers bring their bottles (or purchase reusable packs from Ecover), which can be refilled up to 50 times. Reusability is crucial, considering the average household discards about seven plastic bottles per week. With over 700 refill stations and over 1 million refills already completed, this small shift is adding up to a significant impact, saving over 42,000 kg of plastic so far.

The brand is also exploring a Return to Source model, where consumers return empty containers for cleaning and refilling after use. Ecover products were included in a recent trial program conducted by British supermarket chain Tesco in collaboration with Loop. This program offers daily products in prefilled, reusable containers. After use, customers return these containers to the store for cleaning, refilling, and reuse. According to Loop, if every shopper swapped out just three items a week, it could add up to 2.5 million reuses across just ten stores.

In Rwanda, malaria remains one of the top health threats. But while the disease is widespread, so is the care – from women who step up daily as informal health workers in their communities. The community strongly relies on these women – they handle 55 percent of all malaria cases. They spend a lot of time caring for their communities – days, weeks, and even months. The challenge? Their work often goes unpaid and unrecognized and typically removes them from school or work, which limits their ability to earn a living wage.

SC Johnson's iconic brand Raid recognized this dilemma and teamed up with the Society for Family Health Rwanda and Rwanda Ministry of Health to develop the Certified Care educational program. This initiative trains and supports women in becoming officially certified Community Health Workers. By participating in this program, they gain the skills needed for the job and earn a fair wage for something they've been doing for free: caring for others. This not only helps them serve their communities better but also allows them to build a career for themselves.

So far, the program has certified 10,000 Community Health Workers. That collaboration has also resulted in the establishment of 78 health clinics across Rwanda. These clinics play a crucial role in combating malaria and other public health concerns, such as HIV/AIDS, family planning, nutrition, and access to clean water. Since the opening of the first clinic in Rwanda, they have contributed to an 89% drop in malaria mortality.