People around the world produce 130 million metric tons of waste – per day. A huge volume.  Waste can adversely affect our health, our prosperity and indeed our civilization. How does an internationally active FMCG manufacturer such as Henkel tackle this problem? It goes straight to its roots, that is to say the raw materials from which its products and packaging are made. Because the ingredients used in detergents, cosmetics and adhesives also determine what and how much is left at the end and whether the waste that arises is biologically degradable or recyclable. In some cases, moreover, substantial volumes of waste can be avoided through the use of concentrates.

High-performance actives, efficient use of resources

One strategy for avoiding waste is to increase the efficiency of raw material consumption. The more effective the active ingredients of a detergent are, for example, the less the quantity required. Hence Henkel’s product developers have reduced the dosage per wash cycle over the last 30 years from over 275 grams of conventional washing powder to just 70 grams of Persil Megaperls.

How has this increase in performance come about? The secret of these high-efficiency detergents lies in the enzymes they incorporate. They take the form of natural proteins that speed up the biochemical reactions, dissolving grease and breaking down protein-based stains. And they help to continuously reduce not only detergent quantities but also water consumption and the energy requirement per wash. That is why Henkel’s researchers began developing such ‘turbo enzymes’ back in the 1960s.

Henkel’s detergent brands enjoy great consumer trust. And Henkel places great importance on providing information to assist consumers in getting the most out of their laundry care product – in the form of maximum performance with the right dosage and at low washing temperatures. Clear instructions and markings on the product packaging and/or free measuring cups or scoops whenever new, reduced dosages are possible, supplemented by more detailed information e.g. on the internet, and high-profile public relations work are all a permanent feature of the company’s sustainability policy. “Our advanced laundry and home care products are, for instance, able to provide maximum performance even at low temperatures, helping to reduce household energy consumption. And this is a message that we really do need to spell out clearly and unambiguously to our customers,” explains Christian-Andre Weinberger, Corporate Senior Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer for Henkel’s Laundry & Home Care business sector. “Our product logo ‘Quality & Responsibility’ plays a key role in this regard.”

Persil is just one example of the strategy aimed at achieving ever better cleaning performance with smaller quantities, lower temperatures and less packaging. Liquid detergents are also being offered in a more ecologically efficient concentrated form, such as Purex Ultra Concentrate which is selling so well in the USA. “Throughout the country we have, since 2007, been switching the formulations of our liquid detergents to concentrates,” says Brad Casper, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Dial Corporation. The optimized formulation used to make Purex Ultra Concentrate now produces the same laundering power with just half the former dosage. The lower weight and volume of these concentrated liquid detergents also mean reduced logistic costs, less demand on retail and household shelf space, less packaging material and reduced waste.

These are aspects that are relevant not only to household products but also to those used in the craft trades and industry. Anyone who has ever built a house knows that removing the ensuing rubble and construction waste is a costly undertaking. So it is important if, instead of 25 kilograms of adhesive to tile a certain area, only 18 kilograms are required as is the case with the product Ceresit Microgranulate. And here, too, there are the added benefits of reduced effort for the craftsman or do-it-yourselfer, lower logistic costs and less packaging material.

Adhesives are needed to lay tiles. They are also used in the manufacture of packaging materials such as cardboard boxes. Dispersion adhesives are particularly important in packaging production applications. However, if paper and cardboard bonded with conventional dispersion adhesives are recycled after usage, the plasticizer di-isobutylphthalate (DiBP) normally used in these adhesives also becomes entrained in the recovery process. The paper mills have no means to extract this plasticizer, which means that the boxes made from the recycle material contain DiBP which has been absorbed into the constituent paper and cardboard. Henkel identified this problem early on and, with the Adhesin A 78 series, developed a completely new generation of plasticizer-free dispersion adhesives. Plus: this adhesive system is based largely on ingredients obtained from renewable raw materials.

Intrinsic values: Henkel increases share of renewable raw materials
Saving materials and packaging is one approach to taking more control of the waste issue. The other relates to the origin and type of raw materials employed. To ensure that, at the end of the product life cycle, the amount of waste left to burden the environment is kept as small as possible, Henkel is turning increasingly to raw materials from renewable sources.

At the same time, the company is committed to the inalienable principle of delivering the first-class quality to which the consumer has become accustomed. Hence product efficacy cannot be restricted and product benefit must remain fully intact. Any change made to a product, irrespective of whether in the field of detergents and cleaners, cosmetics or adhesives, must satisfy these imperatives. Brands such as Persil, Schwarzkopf and Loctite enjoy an excellent reputation. Henkel would be doing a great disservice to its sustainability effort if it were to suddenly stop supplying such products to the market in accordance with the high quality standards that their purchasers have come to expect. “In focusing on the excellence of our brands in conjunction with their environmental compatibility – ‘Performance based on Sustainability’ as we call it – we see enormous potential for driving the development of innovative products and smart solutions,” explains Thomas Schuffenhauer, Corporate Director Global Marketing Unit Laundry – Value & Special Brands – at Henkel.

Henkel’s ability to adhere to this commitment is demonstrated by, among others, the product range Purex Natural Elements now on sale in the USA. This line features the same laundry power as all other Purex products but exclusively uses surfactants – these are the wash-active substances essential to any detergent – derived from renewable raw materials. Further, this laundry product also only contains natural fragrance extracts and is free of artificial colorants. All the ingredients are readily biodegradable.

The same applies, for example, to the US personal care series Pure & Natural, the formulation of which has been completely revised. The new soap and body wash/shower gel formulations contain up to 98 percent natural ingredients. And the cardboard pack in which the soap is sold is made from 100 percent recycled paper and is therefore fully compostable.

Natural-source ingredients
Avoiding waste and using materials that are biologically degradable constitute two important aspects of the Henkel sustainability strategy and areas on which the company is still working. Not alone, incidentally, but in concert with other organizations – for instance as a member of various international associations of detergent, cosmetics and adhesive manufacturers. Henkel also joined the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) in April 2008. This association counts among its supporters numerous companies from all parts of the palm oil and palm kernel oil supply chain. The groups represented on the RSPO want to ensure that these renewable raw materials are produced in accordance with strict sustainability criteria, aided by the introduction of a system of certificates designed to promote their sale and usage. Certification of the plantations is the responsibility of independent institutions acting in accordance with the RSPO Principles & Criteria (www.rspo.org). These specify, for example, the cultivation methods to be used and the working conditions that must be maintained on the plantations. Moreover, according to the RSPO Principles & Criteria, no more rainforest may be felled for the cultivation of palm oil and palm kernel oil, which means that new plantations can only be developed on fallow land or areas that are already being used for agriculture.

Henkel is likewise cooperating with its suppliers and local stakeholders in supporting the long-term viability of raw material sources and fair trade with the countries of origin. For example, hair care products from Henkel contain extracts of shea and argan oil. These ingredients protect, in particular, long hair from breakage and split ends while imparting an intense gloss combined with extra hair suppleness. Both substances come from Africa where they are traditionally used for skin, hair and nail care purposes.

Argan trees, for example, grow only in Morocco. Argan oil is extracted from the fruit kernels and is sold internationally. For Morocco’s rural population, the argan forests are an important source of income. They also play a key role in the ecological balance of the region, as they prevent encroachment by the Sahara. To conserve the argan forests and simultaneously develop the economic potential of the region, the Argan Program was launched in cooperation with local groups back in 2001. Its objective is to protect the regional ecosystem and to ensure fair payment for the local population. By purchasing argan oil and using it in Gliss Oil Nutritive, Henkel supports the Argan Program through its suppliers.

It is a start, although the road ahead is long. Henkel’s objective is to help ensure that the cycle that begins with raw material cultivation and passes through the entire value chain to final usage and disposal is rendered responsible and properly sustainable. Further comprehensive information concerning Henkel’s activities in the field of sustainability and corporate social responsibility, plus all the rankings and ratings, can be found under www.henkel.com/sustainability.