SC Johnson

Here I go again with a TV ad - last night I saw a very interesting TV advertisement from SC Johnson. In their ad the Chairman/CEO talked about how they power their factories in the US and abroad using various types of renewable energies: one using wind power, another using the methane gas collected from a near-by landfill, and their Indonesia plant using left-over palm-shell waste from the palm oil industry. At the end of the ad, Mr. Johnson states (and I'm paraphrasing here) that the company is committed to a greener community, and so when consumers go to the store to pick-up SC Johnson products, they can feel better about their purchase choices, etc. This made me want to look more into their green promise more closely; did they have a green business plan? Were they making their products more "green" and eco-friendly? What is their corporate social responsibility mission? etc. So I set out to do more research...I went to their website....and what I found, I was pleasantly surprised. Majority of their website encompassed social responsibility and environmentally-friendly mission statements. Eager to peruse the site, I found more information about their plants and the use of renewable energies. For example, by using just two wind turbines at their largest, 2.2 million sq. ft. facility, they have been able to generate enough base electricity to keep their steam operations rolling, remove approximately 52,000 tons of greenhouse gases annually, but...the biggest kicker..it has saved them millions of dollars in energy bills. Additional stats they give about another wind-powered plant they have in Michigan states that by using wind energy, 29,500 tons of CO2 is eliminated and the energy saved per year is equivalent to a reduction of 3,000 cars (enough energy to supply electricity to 1,800 homes). Continuing on, I look through other items on their site about their products, etc. They had quite a bit about ensuring their list measures up to their patented process of Greenlist - a measurement tool the company imposes on themselves to ensure that their products are utilizing eco-friendly raw materials without losing its performance strength and having a health impact. While I'm sure people will still be a little skeptical about this portion of their site touting their eco-friendliness or even the health benefits of their products, we do, however, need to give them credit for building a green practice into their corporate culture and credit them for doing something to make a better impact in their community. We don't always have to agree on how or which items should be eco-friendly, the point of the matter is that they have strived to make a difference to be more socially responsible, reduce costs, and be a good steward in their communities. I think it is up to consumers and their business leaders to continue to look at ways for the company to become more eco-friendly and push to design more health- and eco-conscious products for the future...but this first step is a good step. What do you think?