How are we reducing our impact on the environment?
As a global business, we strongly feel the need to be proactive in the battle against climate change.
We're constantly seeking new ways to improve our business practices and reduce our carbon footprint. We have set ourselves strict targets to reduce energy, waste and water use. By 2020 we will have halved the carbon emissions from our global store estate and we've also made great strides in sourcing renewable energy wherever possible to run our offices, warehouses and stores. We don't just buy renewable energy - we also generate our own and have built the largest roof-top solar installation at our UK Head Office that will power 25% of our energy needs for that site.
In 2008 we replaced all our carrier bags with 100 per cent recycled and recyclable paper bags. We still offer our Community Fair Trade Bag for Life made from 100 per cent organically grown cotton. We've also increased the recycled content in our gift packaging.
WHAT DOES OUR ECO-CONSCIOUS SYMBOL MEAN?
Every product we use has consequences for the planet, from the shampoo we wash down the plughole to the packaging we throw away.
We're working hard to help protect the planet, and one of the ways we are doing this is by introducing an eco-conscious standard. This symbol appears on products that meet our stringent set of environmental criteria.
RESPECTS THE AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT
We choose our raw materials carefully and only use ingredients known to be non-toxic to organisms that live in water. Raw materials which are classified as persistent and bioaccumulative and toxic according to EC Regulation 1272/2008 will not be used. The product formulation has been measured for ecotoxicity according to methodology 201 as defined by The Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development.
MEETS STRICT BIODEGRADABILITY STANDARDS
All the foaming ingredients in the formula are readily biodegradable, and at least 75% of the carbon-based substances are non-persistent in the environment. A substance is defined as biodegradable if more than 60% of it is broken down into simpler chemicals within 28 days by living organisms generally found within the environment. A substance is non-persistent if it is capable of decomposing rapidly under natural conditions.
LIMITS PACKAGING WASTE
We aim to use the minimum amount of packaging materials for products. We measure the weight and volume of packaging relative to its contents, and our pack-to-content ratio will never exceed 0.2 grams of packaging per gram of product. We also use post-consumer recyclate (PCR) in packaging wherever possible, and if the primary pack uses paper and/or card, it is from an FSC-certified source.
