How are we reducing our impact on the environment?
As a global business, we strongly feel the need to be proactive in the battle against climate change.
We’re constantly seeking new ways to improve our business practices and reduce our carbon footprint. In many of our stores, refits are rolling out that will improve our energy efficiency. New lighting, including store signs that have been successfully trialled, will help to reduce our energy use. We’ve introduced energy-awareness training for all our store staff, have reduced our air travel and are currently in the process of converting our car fleet to lower-emission models.
We’ve also made great strides in sourcing renewable energy wherever possible to run our offices, warehouses and stores around the world. In the UK alone, 65 per cent of our stores are on renewable energy contracts.
As long-term advocates for reducing waste, we’re now introducing plastic bottles made from 100 per cent recycled material. Our aim is to make all our PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles from this plastic – a staggering 30m bottles a year.
In 2008 we replaced all our carrier bags with 100 per cent recycled and recyclable paper bags. We still offer our Community Trade Bag for Life made from 100 per cent organically grown cotton. We’ve also increased the recycled content in our gift packaging.
WHAT DOES OUR ECO-CONSCIOUS SYMBOL MEAN?
Every product we use has consequences for the planet, from the shampoo we wash down the plughole to the packaging we throw away. We’re working hard to help protect the planet, and one of the ways we are doing this is by introducing an eco-conscious standard. This symbol appears on products that meet our stringent set of environmental criteria:
RESPECTS THE AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT
We choose our raw materials carefully and only use ingredients known to be non-toxic to organisms that live in water. We will not use any raw material that is classified as persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic or ecotoxic according to EC Regulation 1272/2008. The product formulation has been measured for ecotoxicity according to methodology 201 as defined by The Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development.
BIODEGRADABILITY
All the foaming ingredients in the formula are readily biodegradable, and at least 75% of the carbon-based substances are biodegradable. A substance is defined as biodegradable if more than 60% of it is broken down into simpler chemicals within 28 days by living organisms generally found within the environment.
LIMITS PACKAGING WASTE
We aim to use the minimum amount of packaging materials for products. We measure the weight and volume of packaging relative to its contents, and our pack-to-content ratio will never exceed 0.2 grams of packaging per gram of product. We also use post-consumer recyclate (PCR) in packaging wherever possible, and if the primary pack uses paper and/or card, it is from an FSC-certified source.
