Sustainability goal update: Johnson && Johnson

Five years ago, consumer product company Johnson & Johnson set some sustainability-related goals that it hoped to achieve by 2010. Let's check in and see how J&J did on the plastics-related targets -- much of it related to trying to eliminate PVC packaging. J&J's "Healthy Planet 2010" project set minimum requirements for using post-consumer plastics, glass and metals in its Consumer segment, as well as a goal to reduce use of PVC packaging across the company. On the PVC front, J&J looks at primary packaging (which comes into direct contact with the product) and secondary or tertiary packaging (which does not come into direct contact), such as bottle cap seals. In the company's latest report updating progress on sustainability goals, J&J notes that "validating alternatives to PVC packaging is time-consuming and expensive," but added that "we continue to make progress." In the Consumer business, J&J has eliminated 100 percent of the PVC in primary packaging, accounting for 2,490 tons of material. It has also elimated 92 percent of the PVC from its Consumer unit's secondary and tertiary packaging, for 884 tons of material. The remaining 82 tons are in bottle neck bands, and J&J said it is evaluating alternatives. In the Medical Devices and Diagnostics unit, the company has eliminated 100 percent of the PVC from its secondary and tertiary packaging. The Pharmaceutical unit has seen slower progress: it has eliminated 55 percent from the PVC in its secondary and tertiary packaging, or 19 tons. Procter & Gamble Co. made a splash with its announcement this week of sustainability goals, including many that will have an impact on the types of plastics packaging it uses in the future. In P&G's case, the company plans to eliminate all of its PVC packaging within two years.