illustration by Christopher Serra
Regulators haven't always agreed. When the European Union classified dibutyl phthalate (DBP) as a reproductive toxicant in 2004 and banned it from use in cosmetics and personal-care products, P&G and many other companies were forced to reformulate products, predominantly nail polish. Similarly, P&G is working on suitable substitutes for phosphates in its Cascade dishwashing products after states including Virginia and Maryland passed bans on using the chemicals because of the damage they wreak when released into rivers and streams. P&G maintains that its use of DBP and phosphates wasn't harmful.
As we stroll through P&G's in-house museum, gazing at hallmarks of the company's 170-year history as a consumer-products innovator, Sauers explains that because P&G's brands are so large and ubiquitous throughout the world, he thinks the company can have a major impact in the reduction of waste and consumption of energy. He's right. But Tide Coldwater and Charmin Mega? Good, but not good enough. Sauers acknowledges that he doesn't consider himself an environmentalist. But if he wants to be a sustainability chief in more than name only -- if P&G is going to lead rather than be dragged into compliance -- he has a chemistry problem to solve. And right now, he's procrastinating.
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Recent Comments | 9 Total
July 8, 2008 at 3:45am by Kasha Frese
Improving product performance and maximizing shelf space sound more like business-as-usual than a new focus on sustainability.
July 21, 2008 at 1:45pm by Richard Lenham
This article must have been written by someone with no knowledge of toxicology or life cycle assessments. The mere presence of an ingredient in a product does not automatically make a product unsafe for use. Water and salt, for example, are both toxic if given in high enough doses. It is the dose that makes the poison not the mere presence of an ingredient and to suggest otherwise is irresponsible journalism.
By creating formulations that require the consumer to use less energy while still achieving desirable product benefits or reducing the amount of solid waste that must be landfilled or otherwise disposed of, P&G is making significant strides in sustainability.