07.31.17
The American Cleaning Institute (ACI) released its fourth Sustainability Report, “Foundations for Transformation.” The report highlights the progress made by companies in the cleaning product supply chain to minimize the industry’s environmental impact during the past two years.
“ACI and its members are building upon a legacy of leadership by evolving our sustainability strategy to reflect the critical issues identified through the first-ever materiality assessment for the industry, which debuted in our 2015 report,” said Melissa Hockstad, ACI’s president and CEO. “By weaving these critical issues into the fabric of our sustainability strategy and reflecting honestly on our progress to date, we hope to set the stage for leadership into the future.”
ACI’s Sustainability Metrics Program has overseen industry performance in categories including energy, water, waste and climate change/greenhouse gases.
Some highlights from the report include: a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, totaling a 23% reduction during cleaning product formulation since 2011; and an increase in renewable energy use by 46% since 2011. In addition, a report on waste management showed that 64% of the waste from product formulation was reused or recycled in 2015.
While this data shows that there has been progress in sustainability efforts since 2011, some categories are still in need of attention from the industry, according to ACI. This includes an uptick in greenhouse gas intensity between 2011 and 2015, even though absolute emissions were down. There was a lack of improvement in energy efficiency, remaining relatively consistent since 2011; and an increase in water intensity during the past two years despite initial declines in water intensity from 2011-2013.
“ACI plans to continue to delve into the factors that may affect the metrics data, as we work to align the Metrics Program with member companies’ most material sustainability issues. We know our member companies are setting targets and making progress, which we expect to see in our future data,” said Hockstad.
“ACI and its members are building upon a legacy of leadership by evolving our sustainability strategy to reflect the critical issues identified through the first-ever materiality assessment for the industry, which debuted in our 2015 report,” said Melissa Hockstad, ACI’s president and CEO. “By weaving these critical issues into the fabric of our sustainability strategy and reflecting honestly on our progress to date, we hope to set the stage for leadership into the future.”
ACI’s Sustainability Metrics Program has overseen industry performance in categories including energy, water, waste and climate change/greenhouse gases.
Some highlights from the report include: a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, totaling a 23% reduction during cleaning product formulation since 2011; and an increase in renewable energy use by 46% since 2011. In addition, a report on waste management showed that 64% of the waste from product formulation was reused or recycled in 2015.
While this data shows that there has been progress in sustainability efforts since 2011, some categories are still in need of attention from the industry, according to ACI. This includes an uptick in greenhouse gas intensity between 2011 and 2015, even though absolute emissions were down. There was a lack of improvement in energy efficiency, remaining relatively consistent since 2011; and an increase in water intensity during the past two years despite initial declines in water intensity from 2011-2013.
“ACI plans to continue to delve into the factors that may affect the metrics data, as we work to align the Metrics Program with member companies’ most material sustainability issues. We know our member companies are setting targets and making progress, which we expect to see in our future data,” said Hockstad.
