The Clorox Co. inched forward in its 2025 circular packaging pursuit but appeared to lose ground in reducing virgin packaging, according to its fiscal year 2023 integrated annual report released last week. The Oakland, California-based CPG’s range of brand offerings includes Clorox cleaning products, Glad trash bags, Fresh Step cat litter, Brita water filters, Burt’s Bees skin products and Hidden Valley ranch dressing.
Clorox participates in the US Plastics Pact, whose commitments include making all plastic packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. Clorox said in its latest report 88% of all its packaging meets those criteria, up from 84% a year prior. This progress was supported by “rolling out more products that enable consumers to easily remove nonrecyclable labels that inhibit recyclability of packaging, including bottles, closures and triggers,” the company reported.
Clorox has made some strides with refill-at-home cleaning products. Innovation highlights from the last fiscal year include Burt’s Bees lip balms with refillable or paper tube packaging, as well as Clorox Bathroom Ultra Foamer, made with a reusable trigger and in a refill model.
In the TCFD section included in the integrated report, a framework through the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, Clorox estimated that in the next two to five years, extended producer responsibility policies and regulations that make producers responsible for the collection, recycling and safe disposal of products after use could cost the company between $2 million and $5 million per year. Should national regulations be adopted, that annual cost could rise to $15 million to $20 million. Reducing virgin plastic use helps mitigate this risk, Clorox reported. Also in the cleaning products space, SC Johnson’s CEO has voiced support for certain EPR policies.
