2008 Sustainability Overview: Designed to Innovate... Sustainably
Over 50 Years of Sustainablity Progress:
P&G has been values-based since its founding in 1837. The timeline illustrated below highlights sustainability progress over the last six decades.
1950s
- 1952
- P&G establishes the Procter & Gamble Fund for the distribution of money to U.S. charities
- 1956
- The first environmental safety publication is created at P&G measuring surfactants in rivers
1960s
- 1964
- The P&G Environmental Water Quality Laboratory is established
- Switch to biodegradable anionic surfactant LAS begins
- 1965
- P&G publishes its tenth environmental safety paper to support new biodegradability test methods
- 1969
- Instream biological monitoring program begins
1970s
- 1970
- P&G implements its first manufacturing plant environmental audit
- 1971
- P&G Safety and Regulatory is established as a separate entity from product development
- The P&G Corporate Environmental Safety Department is formed
- 1973
- Publication of the “Sturm Test,” the forerunner of the Ready Biodegradability Test
- 1977
- P&G Environmental safety organization formed in Europe (Brussels)
1980s
- 1981
- P&G co-founds the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
- 1983
- P&G produces its 100th peer-reviewed environmental publication
- Debut of Triple Concentrate Downy, one of P&G’s first products to reduce packaging and water use
- 1987
- P&G environmental stream facility begins operation
- 1989
- P&G commits $20 million to assist the development of U.S. compost infrastructure
1990s
- 1990
- P&G articulates its Company-wide environmental quality policy
- 1991
- P&G helps define new field of Life Cycle Assessment
- 1992
- P&G moves to elemental chlorine-free pulp for all of the Company’s paper products
- United Nations World Environment Center Gold Medal recipient
- 1993
- P&G commits to sustainable forestry for sourcing pulp
- The first P&G Annual Global Environmental Report is produced
- 1995
- P&G pioneers use of Life Cycle Assessment to design Municipal Solid Waste Management
- 1997
- P&G develops Japan’s first environmental exposure model for consumer products
- Developed the Geo-referenced Regional Exposure Assessment tool for European rivers
- 1999
- P&G’s 500th peer-reviewed environmental publication is produced
- P&G forms a corporate sustainability department and publishes an annual sustainability report
2000s
- 2000
- P&G ranked as a Sector Leader in Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI)
- 2001
- FTSE4Good launched; P&G listed every year since inception
- 2002
- Science-in-the-Box Public Web site launched
- 2003
- Led the development of guidelines for flushable products published by The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF)
- 2004
- P&G creates the Children’s Safe Drinking Water program, using the unique PUR purification sachets
- 2005
- Tide Coldwater and Ariel Cool Clean are introduced, promoting low-temperature washing
- Downy Single Rinse introduced, offering water savings in critical regions
- P&G awarded Stockholm Industry Water Prize for providing safe drinking water
- P&G introduces its global corporate cause—Live, Learn and Thrive
- 2006
- P&G is National Inventor of the Year for the design and development of PUR purification sachets
- 2007
- P&G launches its new Sustainability Strategy and five-year goals
- 2X compacted liquid detergents debut in the U.S.
- P&G recognized by EPA for Children’s Safe Drinking Water program
- P&G awarded the Ron Brown Award for Corporate Leadership
- 2008
- EPA awards P&G’s Cincinnati corporate headquarters with the Energy Star Certification
- P&G receives the European Business Award honoring commitment to corporate sustainability
- OECD adopts P&G’s laboratory biodegradation test series
- P&G delivers the billionth liter of clean water in its Children’s Safe Drinking Water program
