SC Johnson, the maker of Glade, Windex and Ziploc, announced today that it will buy only sustainable palm oil by 2015.
The company said it will work with its suppliers as well as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, of which it is a member, to ensure that all the palm oil it uses comes from certified sources.
SC Johnson said it consumes a relatively small amount of palm oil-based ingredients, used in some of its air fresheners and as stabilizers in some of its home cleaning products. But the company said it feels it should take this step because unsustainable palm production can lead to deforestation, causing massive carbon emissions.
"While SC Johnson's use of palm oil-based ingredients is relatively small, as a family company we believe responsibility is critical at every level. Being a smaller purchaser doesn't let us off the hook," said chairman and CEO Fisk Johnson. "Our commitment to the families who buy our products is that we will work hard to identify the best ingredients, we will source them responsibly and we will be transparent about what's inside our products."
SC Johnson’s previous environmental actions include voluntarily and unilaterally eliminating chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) from its aerosols in 1975, eliminating polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from all its packaging in 2002, and phasing out phthalates in its fragrances starting in 2008.
In 2009, the company launched a communication program that made information about ingredients in the company’s products available via a dedicated web site, www.WhatsInsideSCJohnson.com, and the company’s toll-free number, 1-800-558-5252. By 2012, SC Johnson says it will also voluntarily disclose the ingredients it uses in its fragrances, as well as providing information on preservatives.
Earlier this year, Clorox laid claim to be the first company in its industry to disclose preservatives and dyes in all U.S. and Canadian cleaning, disinfecting and laundry products. Clorox also said it will publish a list of all fragrance ingredients used in the products, extending a disclosure program that already covered active ingredients.
Last year SC Johnson announced it was installing wind turbines at its headquarters in Racine, Wis.
The $8 billion-sales company employs about 12,000 people, and owns brands including Off!, Pledge, Raid, Scrubbing Bubbles and Shout.
