2020 Comes Early with Reckitt Benckiser's Environmental Performance

PARSIPPANY, N.J., May 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Reckitt Benckiser (RB), a world leader in health, hygiene and home products whose portfolio includes iconic brands such as Clearasil®, Mucinex®, Lysol®, and Woolite®, today announced it has achieved a 21% improvement in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions per dose since 2007 – beating its 20% target eight years ahead of time.  This performance is based on emissions throughout an RB product's lifecycle, from raw material sourcing to disposal, and is equivalent to taking 3 million cars off the road.

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This Carbon20 performance is revealed in RB's new Sustainability Report, published today at www.rb.com/sustainability-report2011.  The Carbon20 methodology, and selected data, has been independently assured by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The report also details RB's sustainability record:

• 16% reduction in fresh water usage (per unit of production) versus 2000
• 5.4 million trees planted since 2006 as part of Trees For Change®, effectively making RB's manufacturing sites carbon neutral
• 23% reduction in accident rate versus 2010 (92% reduction versus 2001)
• 775,000 children reached with Save The Children since 2003 (175,000 in 2011)

"Achieving our 2020 carbon target is testament to the innovation that drives the company," stated Rakesh Kapoor, CEO of RB.  "It demonstrates our commitment to sustainability, which is embedded in our new strategy, vision and purpose announced in February 2012."

Brand innovation and operational efficiencies in the U.S.

In 2008, RB redesigned the cap on all French's® Mustard containers to be 1 gram lighter and as a result has saved 275,000 pounds of plastic packaging per year.  This change has avoided over 1,650 tons of carbon emissions.

In 2011 Air Wick® launched a ground-breaking aerosol product, using compressed air instead of butane, avoiding 20,000 tons of CO2 emissions during the year. Air Wick Flip & Fresh™ saves more than 10,000 tons of carbon, compared to traditional packaging. The product contains only fragrance oil and provides many doses per consumer unit with no propellant, heavy gadgets or batteries, minimizing the carbon footprint per dose.

RB was able to achieve its Carbon20 goal eight years in advance by evaluating the entire lifecycle of each product through sourcing, manufacturing, distribution, use and disposal. The biggest impacts have been in consumer use (68.5% of the total footprint) and raw materials and packaging (23%).  Over 5,750 tons of carbon emissions were avoided in 2011 due to various process improvements across RB's US-based manufacturing facilities.

About RB:

Reckitt Benckiser (RB) is a global consumer goods leader in health, hygiene and home.

With a purpose of delivering innovative solutions for healthier lives and happier homes, RB is in the top 25 of companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. Since 2000 net revenues have doubled and the market cap has quadrupled.  Today it is the global No 1 or No 2 in the majority of its fast-growing categories, driven by an exceptional rate of innovation. It's health, hygiene and home portfolio is led by 19 global powerbrands including Nurofen®, Strepsils®, Gaviscon®, Mucinex®, Durex®, Scholl®, Lysol®, Dettol®, Clearasil®, Veet®, Harpic®, Bang®, Mortein®, Finish®, Vanish®, Woolite®, Calgon®, Air Wick®, and French's®, and they account for 70% of  net revenue. 

RB people are at the heart of the company's success.  They have an intense drive for action and a desire to outperform wherever they focus, including in CSR where the company has achieved its goal of reducing its Carbon footprint by 20% and has a global partnership with Save the Children.

The company has operations in over 60 countries, with headquarters in the UK, Singapore, Dubai and Amsterdam, and sales in almost 200 countries.  The company employs about 38,000 people worldwide.

For more information visit www.rb.com.  

Contact:

Dean Mastrojohn
Communications Director, North America
973-404-2494
[email protected]

Sabrina Michaeli
Porter Novelli
212-601-8163
[email protected]

SOURCE Reckitt Benckiser