Wednesday, October 15, 2014
The Fowler Center for Sustainable Value at the Weatherhead School of Management will host Flourish & Prosper: The Third Global Forum for Business as an Agent of World Benefit (Forum) Oct. 15-17, 2014, at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. GOJO, the global leader in hand hygiene and healthy skin and inventor of PURELL® Hand Sanitizer, is serving as a platinum sponsor for this “unconference,” which will explore how cutting-edge innovators and forward-thinking leaders are moving beyond traditional notions of social responsibility and sustainability to full-spectrum flourishing yielding a “net positive” impact on society and the environment while reaping above average financial rewards.
Sustainability has been a part of the GOJO story since its founding in 1946. GOJO founders Goldie and Jerry Lippman instilled a culture of practicality, resourcefulness, perseverance, and social awareness. Today, that culture remains vibrant, and sustainability plays a pivotal role in how GOJO operates.
“Sustainability is inherent in the GOJO Purpose – Saving Lives and Making Life Better through Well-Being Solutions,” said Marcella Kanfer Rolnick, GOJO Vice Chair. “The focus of this year’s forum is ‘the new spirit of business,’ which looks at how businesses today can contribute to flourishing and prosperity both for their employees and themselves as well as for those they serve and can impact. At GOJO, we flourish through working together as a team to consistently deliver product innovation and industry thought leadership in alignment with our values.”
GOJO made many sustainability advancements in 2013 including:
- Generated a 35 percent improvement in hand hygiene delivered in equivalent uses relative to the 2010 per-use rate,
- Promoted public health through collaborations to deliver products to regions with extreme needs
- Established its first generation sustainable chemistry and packaging policies to guide sustainable design thinking and decisions to drive continuous improvements to the product portfolio.
GOJO also celebrated reaching its 2015 sustainability goals to reduce water use, solid waste generation, and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) a year early. The company’s commitment to work in more sustainable ways resulted in the reduction of water usage by 40 percent between 2010 and 2013, reduction of solid waste generated by 36 percent and reduction of GHG by 46 percent.
Previously, GOJO launched the industry’s first green certified soap in 2006. In 2010, it launched PURELL® Green Certified Instant Hand Sanitizer, which became the world's first green certified hand sanitizer. GOJO makes available the world’s largest complete portfolio of highly effective, green certified soaps and sanitizers certified by EcoLogo® North America’s most respected third-party environmental standard and certification mark, and USDA Biobased certification along with these additional innovations:
- The development of comprehensive hand hygiene solutions that are scientifically proven to reduce infections in hospitals and absenteeism in schools and workplaces, combined with communication tools to promote effective hand hygiene practices.
- Dispenser design through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a “cradle to grave” approach to making design decisions that enhance the sustainability profile of our products from material selection to end-of-life recyclability
- Touch-free dispensing with smart electronics engineered to optimize energy efficiency and extend battery life, eliminating the need to change batteries during the life of the dispenser in most installations
- Source reduction through sealed PET refill bottles that use 30 percent less material than traditional HDPE bottles and recycle easily, preserving resources without compromise to the bottles’ integrity and durability
Kanfer Rolnick is participating in the CEO Panel during the Forum, and GOJO President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Lerner will take part in an interactive workshop that takes a closer look at influential mid-size companies.
To learn more about GOJO and its sustainability efforts, go to
www.GOJO.com/sustainability-report-2013.
About Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is one of the country's leading private research institutions. Located in Cleveland, we offer a unique combination of forward-thinking educational opportunities in an inspiring cultural setting. Our leading-edge faculty engage in teaching and research in a collaborative, hands-on environment. Our nationally recognized programs include arts and sciences, dental medicine, engineering, law, management, medicine, nursing and social work. About 4,200 undergraduate and 5,600 graduate students comprise our student body. Visit
case.edu to see how Case Western Reserve thinks beyond the possible.
About the Weatherhead School of Management
The Weatherhead School of Management is different from other business schools. We are bold in our ideas, creative in our approach, and adaptive in our interactions within a changing business environment. We’ve enhanced traditional management education by integrating the fundamentals of business with ideas and practices that change individuals, organizations, and societies. Our graduates are ready to add immediate value to their organizations, their communities, and the world.