Ellen MacArthur Foundation Recognizes SC Johnson’s Leadership in Plastic Waste Reduction

SC Johnson leads its industry in post-consumer recycled plastic and virgin plastic waste reduction, and was recognized by the Ellen MacCarthur Foundation as a leader in the Household and Personal Care industry for it’s role tackling the plastic waste crisis in the fifth annual Global Commitment Progress Report.

Produced by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the UN Environment Programme, this report highlights a set of plastic packaging commitments uniting more than 1,000 businesses, governments and other organizations with a vision for a circular economy for plastics.

According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the world is still not on course to eliminate plastic waste and pollution. Yet while there is much progress to be made, SC Johnson demonstrated meaningful advancement in all three of the key commitments evaluated by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation:

1.  Virgin plastic reduction: Since 2018, SC Johnson’s virgin plastic use is down 28%. Our commitment for 2025 is 30%.
2.  Percent of post-consumer recycled plastic: We are working to include at least 25% post-consumer recycled content in plastic packaging by 2025, and we are already at 22%.
3.  Percent of plastic packaging that is recyclable, reusable or compostable: As noted in the report, SC Johnson is making progress in moving toward refill/reuse models. As a result of innovation in durable dispensers, in-store refill systems, refillable bottles and concentrates, 9% of our plastic packaging is reusable.

“I’m grateful to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the UN Environment Programme for putting out this important annual report and keeping the plastic waste crisis in the spotlight. Even with our progress – and momentum across the industry – there is still more work to be done. And businesses can’t do it alone,” said Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson. “It really takes all stakeholders in the entire plastic ecosystem — producers, retailers, consumers, recyclers and government alike – working together collectively at scale if we are going to solve this issue of plastic waste. If we are going to make real progress, we need governments around the world to pass strong, practical plastic regulation. SC Johnson is going to continue to advocate for good regulation in the U.S. and elsewhere.”

In addition to focusing on improving the circularity of our products, SC Johnson also invested in a major digitization project that advanced our ability to measure, analyze and report key sustainability metrics, such as plastic use, that are often difficult for companies to track.