Last year, CPG companies were challenged on multiple fronts; from supply chain to human resources. But even in this environment, for brands like Seventh Generation, there was no room to compromise on commitments made to protect the planet.
 
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Seventh Generation was quickly forced to re-evaluate the way it worked to meet the huge surge in consumer demand for its products. The company, which is part of Unilever, worked with supply, manufacturing, shipping and retail partners to secure an additional 40% volume in product and packaging materials. Even as supply chains tightened globally, Seventh Generation stayed committed to its rigorous environmental sourcing criteria.
 
“We take a long view. We set out our goals that we aim to achieve in five- and 10-year increments. When we face a one-year challenge, we see that as a bump in the road,” Ashley Orgain, global director of advocacy and sustainability at Seventh Generation, told Happi.
 
In September, the company published its 2020 Corporate Consciousness report, its annual update that provides a look at the company’s commitment to sustainability and assessment of progress made toward its 2025 goals.
 
Since setting its 2020 products and packaging goals, Seventh Generation says nearly all (97%) of its product packaging, by volume, is reusable, recyclable or biodegradable, and nearly 100% of its products and packaging are made from bio-based or recycled content.  In 2020, Seventh Generation partially met its goal of sourcing 100% certified sustainable agricultural products including palm oil, virgin wood pulp, coconut, soy, citrus and corn.
 
Further, Seventh Generation said it successfully reduced its facility electric emissions to zero in partnership with Burlington Electric, and its renewable energy initiatives. 
 
2025 Goals

The company’s 2025 goals include eliminating 75% of virgin plastic use in packaging and reducing total plastic use by 50%, with one-third of its innovation coming from plastic-free alternatives and systems that disrupt single-use solutions.
 
By 2025, Seventh Generation says is on track to have 100% of its materials and ingredients sustainable, bio-based or recycled.
 
Greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) is another key issue. Since 2019, Seventh Generation improved GHG emissions intensity. However, it knows that consumer-use remains a challenge.
 
In fact, 88% of its total GHG emissions in 2020 was associated with consumers’ product use. 
 
Seventh Generation’s goal is “real zero,” not net zero, Orgain said.
 
“Consumers are using dirty energy—we see it as our responsibility to address this,” she said. “We are going after the root cause.”
 
As such, Seventh Generation continues to advocate for and advance “greening the grid” so that the energy customers use to wash dishes or laundry comes from low emissions and renewable sources. In addition, Seventh Generation laundry products are formulated to work well in cold water, encouraging users to opt for cold wash cycles, it asserts.
 
This year, Seventh Generation says it will be laser focused on advancing two key pillars of work in its mission to protect the next seven generations: climate and plastics. The company’s 2021 intention is to correct course on its GHG footprint and further reduce its plastic packaging waste. 
 
Getting There Faster, Together

For Orgain, there are indicators that the company, and the industry in general, need to be moving more quickly around key issues.
 
“We understand the urgent need to move on climate. But we aren’t moving fast enough,” she said. “It is still incredibly hard to move our industry at the speed and pace we need.”
 

According to Orgain, recent horrific weather events “signal that we need to be active on climate with more urgency,” she said.
 
In addition, Orgain said the pandemic shone a light on a deeper issue.
 
“If there was anything we learned in the pandemic, it’s that sustainability is moving away from an environmental lens to a social lens,” she said.
 
As an example, she pointed to the plastics’ life cycle; it isn’t just about end of life, she said. Petroleum processing and refining brings about an incredible amount of emissions that impact marginalized communities.
 
In addition, Orgain called for industry alliances to help move the needle.
 
She said brands should be “linking arms” with their competitors to bring about systemic changes around climate. Orgain said the banding together around issues such as legislative reform that have happened in the industry, isn’t happening around climate issues.
 
She cited Seventh Generation membership in BICEP—the Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy—as an example.
 
“Around that table there are companies like Mars, Levi's, Nike… We don’t have P&G there. Or SC Johnson,” she said. “We need cleaning products category competitors to join the policy conversation and shift to change the system.”