Our Meaningful Actions

When it comes to reducing plastic pollution, Every Action Matters.

Plastic pollution is everywhere. It is not only filling up our landfills, but it’s spilling into our environment. And we are running out of time to turn around the damaging effects it is having on our lands and great oceans.

The challenges to stopping plastic pollution can seem daunting - but overcoming them is possible. It’s going to take all of us – businesses, governments and individuals – working together to solve this complex problem. It starts with understanding the tangible things that make a meaningful difference. And then, most importantly, taking action to make those changes happen.

The Plastic Paradox

Plastic has become a versatile and invaluable resource, but millions of pounds of it flow into the ocean each year harming its overall health. Concepts like climate optimism and initiatives like the Blue Paradox exhibit have pivotal roles to play by encouraging collective action and drive meaningful change to safeguard our ocean for future generations.

Taking Positive Action

Below are some key strategies and actions to reduce plastic consumption, reduce plastic waste and making products more capturable for recycling.

Designing products and packaging so that it gets into the recycle stream rather than the waste stream

Hard-to-recycle materials, such as black plastic and packaging labels, can cause bin contamination, interfere with the recycling process and make it difficult to efficiently recover and reuse materials.

Black Plastic

Removing black plastic, which often contains carbon black additives that hinders the sorting processes, helps recyclers more accurately identify and separate plastic for recycling.

We have eliminated more than 5 million kilos of unnecessary or problematic plastic packaging like glued labels, black plastic and multilayer films from our portfolio

Mrs. Meyer’s® Clean Day, method®, SC Johnson Professional® and Global Consumer Brands are working to remove black plastic from product packaging.

Uh oh. That black plastic in your recycling bin probably isn’t actually being recycled

If you put plastics in your recycling bin, you count on the fact they’re being recycled, right? Unfortunately, there’s a chance one type of plastic is ending up in landfills instead – black plastic.

5 Jul 2023 Learn more

Labels and Sleeves

Printing labels directly on bottles and using perforated sleeve labels helps facilitate the recycling process by reducing the risk of adhesive and incompatible material contamination.

We are working to perforate all of our shrink sleeve labels by 2025.

Our method® aluminum hand wash dispensers eliminate the need for a plastic label by silk-screening the graphics directly on the bottle.

Duck® added perforation to a majority of shrink sleeves.

Peel. Tear. Soak. Scrub. Grrrrrr. The challenge of labels and recycling

We all know the frustration of trying to remove a label so a package gets recycled. You try your best, but labels tear or won’t come off, and then you’re never sure if you should just trash the package or put it in the recycling bin and hope for the best.

5 Jul 2023 Learn more

Bringing plastic that has already served its original purpose back into the circularity loop

Incorporating Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) material into new products uses fewer virgin resources, such as raw materials and energy, are required for manufacturing and helps diverts waste from landfills.

Since 2018, we have reduced SCJ’s plastic packaging footprint by 11,772 metric tons (13%). Our virgin plastic use is down 28%.

method® body wash bottles (excluding pump) are made from 80% PCR and method ®2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner bottle (excluding cap) is made from 65% PCR.

Mrs Meyer’s Clean Day ®Dish soap bottles (excluding caps) are 80% PCR; Mrs Meyer’s ® Foaming Hand wash bottle (excluding pump)are 75% PCR

We are working to use at least 25% post-consumer recycled content in plastic packaging by 2025 and we are already at 22%.

We have been using 100% PCR in Windex® bottles (excluding triggers) since 2015. 100% recovered coastal plastic* since 2019. We also launched a 100% recovered coastal plastic* Windex® trigger bottle (excluding the trigger) in Costco North America.

Beyond recycling, you make an important impact when you buy recycled, too

It’s such a satisfying feeling to fill the recycling bin and know you’re helping give used packaging another life. But did you know you can do even more?

5 Jul 2023 Learn more

Breaking the single use plastic culture: It’s only single use if you use it once

Adoption of more sustainable alternatives, such as reusable and refillable items, reduces the amount of plastic items that often ending up in landfills or as litter.

Dissolvable Pods and Refills

Dissolvable pods and refills eliminate the need for single-use plastic containers, reducing the overall demand for packaging material and the amount of plastic that ends up in landfills or the environment.

Available in select e-tail stores, Mrs. Meyer’s® Clean Day Foaming Hand Soap Concentrate comes in a durable glass bottle. Each concentrate uses 99% less plastic compared with the equivalent single-use plastic bottle.

We’ve redesigned our method ® hand soap refill and moved from unrecyclable pouches to tubs made from 50% pcr and designed for recyclability. Each refill bottle fills a method ® reusable aluminum hand wash dispenser almost 3x.

In the U.S., we introduced DISSOLVE™ Concentrated Pods for our Windex®, Scrubbing Bubbles® and fantastik® brands, which use 94% less plastic than a comparable ready-to-use product.

It’s as easy as refilling your water bottle…and saves so much plastic!

You buy products in recycled packaging and recycle everything you can at home. But did you know there’s a next-level waste reduction option that’s worth checking out? It’s concentrated refills.

4 Jul 2023 Learn more

Reusable Containers and Spray Bottles

Reusable containers and spray triggers can be used multiple times, reducing the volume of resources needed for new single-use options and the overall amount of packaging waste that would otherwise end up in landfills or require recycling.

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 by nearly 80 percent.

We introduced aluminum bottles for our method® hand wash dispensers that are reusable and refillable

There are now more than 680 Ecover® Refill Stations across the U.K., where refilling a 450ml bottle saves up to 90% of plastic per wash versus a single use bottle.

Don’t toss that trigger! Why reusing a spray or pump is even better than recycling it

You might think it’s just a handy way to dispense a product. But a trigger or pump is an engineering marvel. They often include 10 or more components, like valves, springs, gaskets, tubes, nozzles and more. Unfortunately, that means they can also be difficult to recycle.

6 Jul 2023 Learn more

How you can get involved

Make a commitment to switch one thing in your life to help reduce plastic consumption

Whether it's using a reusable water bottle, buying products made from recycled materials or opting for cloth bags instead of plastic ones, every action counts because when many individuals take action, it can add up to significant change. It can inspire others to take action and spark demand for more sustainable products and packaging. Together, we can raise awareness, educate others and make a difference.

Share your desire to see positive change

While there is a growing consensus on the need to address the plastic waste crisis, change starts with actions and accountability.

Initiatives & Advocacy

Blue Paradox

The immersive experience includes 360-degree digital projections that invite the public to walk beneath the ocean’s surface and explore the impact plastic waste has on our planet’s most valuable natural resource.

See More Click To Flip the Card

Plastic Bank

SC Johnson collaborates with Plastic Bank on solutions to reduce the global crisis of ocean plastic by helping increase recycling rates and address the challenges of poverty in impoverished communities.