Back in 2006, when I started working in sustainability here at GOJO, one of my responsibilities was to answer customer inquiries. Eight years ago, these requests were pretty general like “What is GOJO doing to protect the environment?” These days, the questions are much more complex: “Do you know the life cycle impacts of your products?” or “Where do your ingredients come from?” or “How do your products support my organization’s sustainability goals?”
These questions, paired with the increasing popularity of corporate sustainability reports, scorecards, rating sites and emerging customer requirements, all require increased transparency. We’re pleased to share our progress with our stakeholders through the GOJO Sustainability Report.
Although there are numerous sources of information available, the need for transparency remains strong. True transparency requires an element of humility - the courage to pull back the curtain and reveal the whole story. Not every metric may show an improvement every year. Not every chemical of concern can be immediately replaced or eliminated. Not every issue can be tackled at once. Sustainability is a journey. What is most important is that companies are committed to continuous improvement, and their actions are aligned with their sustainability goals and the priorities of their stakeholders.
For those who adopt true transparency, the benefits are numerous both inside and outside their organizations. Customers reward companies who tell their entire story and proactively provide information about their business. At GOJO, we practice transparency with the same commitment to sharing our story with our stakeholders. Early on in our journey, we’ve defined what sustainability means to us, a vital step in establishing a shared understanding for the role of sustainability at GOJO. Our Purpose drives our sustainability commitment: Saving Lives and Making Life Better Through Well-Being Solutions.
Our long-term social sustainability goal is to deliver well-being to one billion people every day. In 2010, we publicly stated our ambitious operational goals to reduce our water usage, solid waste generation and greenhouse gas emissions. I’m proud to say we exceeded these goals. Most recently we established and made public our Sustainable Chemistry and Packaging Policies to demonstrate our commitment to elevate the sustainability profile of our product portfolio.
Are we happy with our progress? Absolutely, but we’re not stopping there. We’re further advancing our commitment to continuous improvement and proactive customer and stakeholder collaboration to accelerate our collective progress.
In the spirit of transparency, we invite you to learn more about our story in our latest Sustainability Report.