Our Actions on Plastics
We've made it a priority to reduce our use of virgin plastic, encourage refills and reuse, support a circular economy for plastic and make our packaging more recyclable. Here's a look at our progress.
Recognizing the growing plastic waste crisis and its impact on the environment, in 2018, our Chairman and CEO, Fisk Johnson, was an inaugural signatory of The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment. It was a bold initiative to help create a circular economy for plastics, led by the Ellen Macarthur Foundation (EMF) and UNEP.
Since then, SC Johnson has become a Strategic Partner of EMF and we've worked to deliver continuing progress on our plastic commitments, including using less plastic, incorporating more post-consumer recycled plastic and making more of our packaging reusable and recyclable.
We've already met our 2025 commitments
We now incorporate 25% post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials into our products, which is a 400% increase since 2018. Last year we used over 17,000 metric tons of PCR in our products, supporting the circular economy.
We've reduced our use of virgin plastic 32% by using more PCR content, eliminating unnecessary plastics and lightweighting plastic packaging. We have also made our products more recyclable, for example by removing black closures and caps.
Windex®
Over 99% of Windex® PET bottles in North America are made from PCR resins.
method®
method® handwash and laundry detergent bottles have been made from 100% PCR since 2021. Over 60% of the brand's plastic packaging uses PCR.
Duck®
Through our partnership with Plastic Bank, the new Duck® Biodegradable Formula Toilet Bowl Cleaner bottle uses 50% recovered coastal plastic.
Drano®
Our Drano® brand is leading the industry by adapting its designs to increase PCR use while maintaining safety and performance standards.
More packaging recyclability means less need for virgin plastics
Here are some steps we’re taking to help.
Eliminating hard-to-recycle black plastic
SC Johnson brands from Mrs. Meyers® Clean Day to Drano® have been working to remove black caps and closures.
Making it easier to remove labels so they don’t contaminate recycling
For example, our Duck® brand has been adding perforation to its shrink labels, so they can be easily removed for bottle recycling.
How you can contribute to the circular economy for plastic and PCR use
Post-consumer recycled plastic, also known as PCR plastic, is made from items that consumers like you recycle every day, like plastic bottles. This means that rather than going to landfill, these items get a second life.
We’re evolving our product lines to include more refills and concentrates
Here are a few examples of how we're driving reusability.
Mrs. Meyer’s® Clean Day
Nearly 25% of Mrs. Meyer’s® plastic packaging can be refilled and reused. The brand’s Hand Soap Concentrate Starter Kit comes with a reusable glass cleaner and two read-to-use concentrated refills.
Ecover®
In partnership with leading European retailers, we’ve rolled out over 700 Ecover® in-store refill machines, helping consumers further reduce their plastic footprint.
method®
The method® brand’s aluminum hand wash dispensers are made from aluminum, minus the pump, and refilled with tubs made from 50% PCR and designed for recyclability.
Windex®
Since our first Windex® concentrate back in 2011, we’ve continued to innovate as we work to win consumer support for refills. Today, more than 60% of Windex® plastic packaging can be refilled and reused.
Refills are a key to reducing waste, and we’re committed to helping increase their use
Learn more about the power of reuse here.
Don’t toss that trigger! Why reusing a spray or pump is even better than recycling it
SC Johnson trigger bottles are designed to deliver more than 10,000 sprays, meaning they can be refilled and reused dozens of times. Refilling and reusing a full-size bottle instead of buying a new trigger bottle cuts plastic waste.
Beyond the Bottle: Why Reduce and Reuse Come Before Recycle
Giving plastic a second, third, or fourth life not only helps reduce the demand for virgin plastic and the emissions-intensive production processes required to make it, but it can also spare the environment hundreds of plastic bottles each year.
We’ve increased the percentage of our packaging that’s recyclable to 58% by reducing difficult-to-recycle materials and swapping out blister thermoforms for paperboard options, where the outer cardboard wrap can easily be removed and recycled.
In addition, we’ve enhanced our internal data systems with logic to automatically identify recyclable plastics, helping pinpoint the best opportunities to redesign our packaging for better recyclability.
There is more to be done, and we continue to believe that scaling meaningful action requires everyone in the plastic ecosystem to work together collectively at scale.
But we’re proud that our efforts are getting more sustainable packaging on shelves and unlocking the potential of refill and reuse options.