Cleaning Products Makers Identify Top Sustainability Issues for Industry

The American Cleaning Institute (ACI) 2015 Sustainability Report highlights progress by institute members such as AkzoNobel Chemicals LLC, Amway, the Clorox Company and Colgate-Palmolive Company in environmental areas including energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, water use and solid waste generation.

In 2014, 33 ACI member companies, including cleaning product makers and upstream ingredient suppliers, contributed environmental metrics data for ACI’s Sustainability Metrics Program. The program captured sustainability performance for 17.3 million metric tons of cleaning product-related production, and its results are detailed in the 2015 report.

“Sustainability professionals within ACI’s membership work throughout the year to help guide, build and develop the association’s sustainability initiatives and advise the staff on ensuring these activities are seen as meaningful and credible,” said Calvin Chiu, Chair, ACI Sustainabilty Committee.

The association’s report also includes the industry’s first-ever materiality assessment mapping the critical risks and opportunities facing ACI members.

Among the top issues identified by industry stakeholders include:

Member companies suggest improvements in many environmental areas key to ACI, including energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, water use and solid waste generation.

Substantial improvements to water efficiency across the industry, with a 21 percent reduction in water used per ton of production for the industry since 2009.

ACI participants report electricity from green energy sources increased over 30 percent since 2008. Members also made significant advances in reducing waste, totaling an 18 percent reduction overall since 2009.