RB announces progress towards environmental and social goals

RB’s 2014 Sustainability Report, “A global force in health & hygiene”, published today, highlights the key achievements of its betterbusiness strategy. By end 2014:

Over 141 million people reached with health and hygiene messaging, 70% of goal to reach 200 million people by 2020

• 50% of products in pipeline more sustainable than their predecessors  
• 74% of factories sending zero waste to landfill, including hazardous and non-hazardous waste
• 25% reduction in water use per unit of production

RB, the global leader in consumer health and hygiene, reveals that it has reached over 141 million people since 2013 with health and hygiene messaging. RB has achieved 70% of its 2020 goal to reach over 200 million people to improve their health and hygiene through programmes led by brands including Dettol and Durex. For example, Durex’s “Someone Like Me” programme has reached approximately 70 million people with sexual health messaging while 70 million people have been reached through Dettol and Harpic’s hygiene education and sanitation programmes.

RB has reduced the environmental footprint of the products in its pipeline by embedding sustainability into the way it innovates. RB uses a bespoke online tool that guides the development of low-impact products by showing designers the environmental impacts of their decisions in real time. RB’s entire product pipeline is continually assessed by the tool. By end 2014, 50% of the pipeline consisted of innovations that are more sustainable than existing RB products. RB is one of the first businesses to take a portfolio view of its product development process through a sustainability lens and has reduced the overall carbon footprint and water impact of its products by 3% and 2% per dose, respectively, since its baseline year of 2012.

In manufacturing, 74% of RB factories are sending zero waste to landfill (including hazardous and non-hazardous manufacturing waste). Since 2012, RB has gone from four to 35 factories achieving zero waste to landfill and reduced water and energy use by 25% and 13% respectively (per unit of production). RB has also seen a 13% reduction in lost work day accident rates since 2012.

Rakesh Kapoor, CEO, commented:
“This report demonstrates good progress against our betterbusinees strategy which charts a course for sustainable, responsible growth. While I am proud of the progress that we have made, we will continue to challenge ourselves to do more with less to achieve our vision of a world where people are healthier and live better.”

For further information, visit: rb.com/sustainability.

Note: RB’s betterbusiness sustainability strategy includes three goals for 2020:

• To cut the water and carbon footprint of products by one third per dose
• To achieve one third of net revenue from more sustainable products
• To reach over 200 million people to improve their health and hygiene behaviour

About RB:

RB* is the world’s leading consumer health and hygiene company. The company has operations in over 60 countries, with headquarters in London, Dubai and Amsterdam, and sales in almost 200 countries. The company employs approximately 37,000 people worldwide. 

With a purpose of delivering innovative solutions for healthier lives and happier homes, RB is in the top 20 of companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. Today it is the global No 1or No 2 in the majority of its fast-growing categories, driven by an exceptional rate of innovation. Its health, hygiene and home portfolio is led by 19 global Powerbrands of Nurofen, Strepsils Gaviscon, Mucinex, Durex, Scholl, Clearasil, Lysol, Dettol, Veet, Harpic, Bang, Mortein, Finish, Vanish, Calgon, Air Wick, Woolite and French’s. 75% of core revenues came from the health and hygiene categories of the portfolio.

Fuelled by a new breed of talent who blend intellectual curiosity with commitment to the highest quality standards, RB is set to redefine the world of consumer health and hygiene. RB people and its culture are at the heart of the company’s success. They have an intense drive for achievement and a desire to outperform wherever they focus, including in sustainability where the company is targeting a 1/3 reduction in water impact, 1/3 reduction in carbon and to have 1/3 of its net revenue coming from more sustainable products by 2020. It is also the Save the Children charity’s largest FMCG global partner, with a new partnership vision to radically reduce the world’s second biggest killer of under-fives, diarrhoea. Overall RB wants to reach 200 million people to improve their health and hygiene behaviour.  

RB is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI). The company was named leader of the Household Products industry and earned ‘industry best’ scores for the broad economic and environmental dimensions. RB is also a member of the CDP FTSE 350 Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index and was ranked 7th in the Corporate Knights Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World Index.

For more information visit www.rb.com

*RB is the trading name of Reckitt Benckiser group of companies.