05.15.14
The second edition of the Tom's of Maine 'Goodness Report" is out, showing the company's progress against 11 key goals and how human, healthy and environmental values guide the company's sustainable business practices.
"We've had strong success since our first Goodness Report where we put a stake in the ground on key areas we are passionate about," said Tom's of Maine CEO Tom O'Brien. "While we've been focused on sustainability for four decades, we're still inspired to never settle for 'good enough.' We made some strong strides in working smarter with energy and water in the last year and we're encouraging employees at every level to imagine more sustainable possibilities."
Key company updates and progress, covering 2012 and 2013, include:
-Moving to 100% petroleum-free version of propylene glycol for the company's popular line of natural deodorants
-Exploring potato-based biopackaging made from Maine potatoes for the company's mouthwash bottles and deodorant canisters
-Reducing water consumption at the company's manufacturing facility from 4.3 CuM/Metric Ton of product made in 2011 to 2.5 by 2020
-Establishing a West Coast distribution center and using more trains and fewer trucks to move products across the country, allowing the company to achieve its 2020 goal of reducing carbon emissions six years early
-Achieving a goal of 85% of employee participation in giving back to the community by using the company's 5% volunteer benefit, which equals 12 full paid days per year
-Capturing steam in the company's Sanford, ME manufacturing facility and reusing it as a way to conserve water and improve energy efficiency
-Decreasing the percentage of virgin materials used in packaging and ultimately converting all products to sustainable packaging is a challenge the company continues to address.
"There's no question our industry can and must do better when it comes finding more innovative solutions for packaging that are better for the earth while still meeting FDA requirements," O'Brien added. "The good news is there are new technologies emerging and with some cross-industry collaboration we may be able to reach a scale where the technology works for everyday use."
The Tom's of Maine Goodness Report features benchmarking completed in 2012 and 2013, an update on products and projects supported in recent years and a goals tracker for 2015 and beyond.
"We've had strong success since our first Goodness Report where we put a stake in the ground on key areas we are passionate about," said Tom's of Maine CEO Tom O'Brien. "While we've been focused on sustainability for four decades, we're still inspired to never settle for 'good enough.' We made some strong strides in working smarter with energy and water in the last year and we're encouraging employees at every level to imagine more sustainable possibilities."
Key company updates and progress, covering 2012 and 2013, include:
-Moving to 100% petroleum-free version of propylene glycol for the company's popular line of natural deodorants
-Exploring potato-based biopackaging made from Maine potatoes for the company's mouthwash bottles and deodorant canisters
-Reducing water consumption at the company's manufacturing facility from 4.3 CuM/Metric Ton of product made in 2011 to 2.5 by 2020
-Establishing a West Coast distribution center and using more trains and fewer trucks to move products across the country, allowing the company to achieve its 2020 goal of reducing carbon emissions six years early
-Achieving a goal of 85% of employee participation in giving back to the community by using the company's 5% volunteer benefit, which equals 12 full paid days per year
-Capturing steam in the company's Sanford, ME manufacturing facility and reusing it as a way to conserve water and improve energy efficiency
-Decreasing the percentage of virgin materials used in packaging and ultimately converting all products to sustainable packaging is a challenge the company continues to address.
"There's no question our industry can and must do better when it comes finding more innovative solutions for packaging that are better for the earth while still meeting FDA requirements," O'Brien added. "The good news is there are new technologies emerging and with some cross-industry collaboration we may be able to reach a scale where the technology works for everyday use."
The Tom's of Maine Goodness Report features benchmarking completed in 2012 and 2013, an update on products and projects supported in recent years and a goals tracker for 2015 and beyond.