Newsweek Green Rankings 2012: Consumer Goods

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Some of the largest companies in this industry are addressing their environmental impact by deploying companywide energy-efficiency programs, with long-term quantitative targets and deadlines to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. Leading Consumer Goods companies are ensuring that environmental programs are applied to their global supply chains as well. This includes supply-chain monitoring systems and improvement measures, along with energy- and water-reduction programs tailored specifically to suppliers.

The industry continues to be impacted by changing regulations on toxic substances and hazardous chemicals. Companies like L’Oreal have been proactive, creating “green chemistry” programs to mitigate harmful chemical use from the product-design stage. As a whole, however, the industry has been slow to effectively reduce its hazardous waste from production.

Key Industry Impacts

• Water use, greenhouse-gas emissions, and general waste generation and disposal together account for more than 80 percent of the total environmental footprint for Consumer Goods.

Critical Issue Profile: Managing Waste

The Consumer Goods industry is waste-intensive, particularly as a result of product packaging and the disposable nature of some goods. Yet several companies have identified waste-reduction opportunities. For example, Procter & Gamble and Panasonic Corp. are engaging in innovative sustainable-packaging initiatives that draw on reused, recycled, and biodegradable materials. Still, the majority of companies across the industry do not disclose even basic waste-reduction initiatives, such as end-of-life product recycling programs.

Industry Ranking: How U.S. Consumer Goods Companies Stack Up

Industry Rank	Company	Overall Rank	Industry Sector	Impact	Management	Disclosure	Green Score	2011 Green Score
1	Kimberly-Clark	56	Consumer Goods	45.2	81.1	98.7	66.7	59.6
2	Estee Lauder	137	Consumer Goods	56.5	64.3	47.5	59.1	51.1
3	Avon Products	138	Consumer Goods	56.5	66.6	36.9	59.1	58.1
4	Procter & Gamble	146	Consumer Goods	50.5	69.7	44.4	58.5	59.0
5	Garmin	237	Consumer Goods	65.8	53.3	0.0	53.6	53.5
6	Whirlpool	249	Consumer Goods	50.8	54.2	58.4	53.1	49.4
7	Clorox	288	Consumer Goods	48.0	49.7	74.3	51.4	53.3
8	Jarden	296	Consumer Goods	52.5	59.5	6.3	51.0	43.4
9	Mohawk Industries	314	Consumer Goods	37.7	58.4	65.4	49.8	49.0
10	Colgate-Palmolive	324	Consumer Goods	42.7	57.3	41.6	49.2	44.7
11	Fortune Brands Home & Security	332	Consumer Goods	49.5	58.5	4.2	49.0	37.5
12	VF Corp.	340	Consumer Goods	51.4	46.6	44.8	48.6	46.7
13	Newell Rubbermaid	351	Consumer Goods	53.8	45.6	31.8	47.9	44.8
14	Herbalife	369	Consumer Goods	71.0	33.7	0.0	47.1	N/A
15	Mattel	404	Consumer Goods	53.8	40.2	27.1	45.0	44.6
16	Leggett & Platt	448	Consumer Goods	47.5	41.7	4.2	40.5	37.7
17	Energizer Holdings	457	Consumer Goods	49.5	39.2	0.0	39.9	39.6

Green Rankings 2012: Consumer Goods

Companies in this sector produce or retail consumer durable products such as electronics, household appliances, and personal and household products.

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