Reckitt Benckiser, the household goods manufacturer, has cut its relative water use by nine per cent in 2013, and brought about a seven per cent reduction in its carbon footprint across all its units.

The UK-based company that sells Durex, Dettol antiseptic and Harpic toilet cleaners in India, among several other brands, has set a goal to reach over 200 million people to improve their health and hygiene behaviour by 2020 through social innovation led by brands such as Dettol and Durex.

As Rakesh Kapoor, CEO, commented: "One year into our new business sustainability strategy, we are making great progress towards our goals for 2020. We are creating a new force in consumer health and are enhancing capabilities that will enable us to improve health and hygiene."

He added: ``Focus on sustainable innovation has resulted in the launch of products that are more sustainable than their predecessors and is paving the way for increasingly disruptive innovation.''

In 2012, the company had set a target to reduce its energy consumption by 35 per cent for each unit of production by 2020. By 2013, it had reduced energy consumption by 5.6 per cent by using biomass fuel for thermal energy generation at its Hosur and Jammu sites in India and in Indonesia, and by compressed air upgrades in Poland, Thailand, Italy, US, and Brazil.

The company was also able to reduce its carbon footprint by increased water reuse and recycling at its Baddi unit in Himachal Pradesh, at its Jammu unit, and at its Sitarganj, Uttarakhand unit, as also in Italy, Colombia and China.

They are aiming for a third of revenues from more sustainable products by 2020, the company is ensuring that its products would have less impact on the environment over their lifecycle, according to the company’s 2013 sustainability report. The company's stain remover, Vanish Power 02 concentrate with active oxygen, is twice as strong but has lower environmental impact. Over the course of the year, the product is expected to save over 9,000 kg of CO2 emissions and 3,700 of packaging, the company said.

Mortein, its pest control brand, ran an awareness campaign in Sonepur. Working with village heads and school principals, fumigation drives were organised. Neem saplings were also planted as they naturally repel insects.

The company expanded its partnership with Save the Children, launching a shared ambition to 'Save a child every minute' by helping stop death from diarrhoea in children under five. Around £5.5 million (₹56 crore) was donated to the NGO in 2013

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