How can we make packaging which is kinder to the environment? There are many areas where it is possible to make improvements, and at P&G we try to work on all of them. For one of P&G's packages to be more environmentally efficient, it has to:

• Lose weight. The heavier a package, the more energy is needed to move it around and the more material goes to waste. So P&G puts its packs on a diet, lightening the load for you and for the environment.
• Save energy. P&G does this by aiming to use less raw materials, less transport and less waste. This has led P&G to some pretty radical moves over time. Right now, for example, we are gradually switching our bottle manufacturing to a new process that requires 20 per cent less resin.
• Use more recycled content. A high fraction of the material used in P&G's packaging is recycled. P&G also tries to maximise the amount of recycled material in the cases that it uses for transportation and distribution, and is currently achieving between 75 and 93 per cent.
• Be compatible with waste management systems. By maximising the efficiency of its packaging, P&G has avoided around 2 million tonnes of waste a year. Beyond that, P&G aims to maximise the use of materials which can be easily recycled. Plus P&G recycles almost all the waste from its manufacturing processes.
• Maximise use of raw materials. About 96 per cent of the raw materials that go into P&G's manufacturing sites emerge as part of a finished product, so there is very little waste - and what P&G cannot use, is mostly recycled.
• Comply with regulations and packaging schemes. Of course, P&G complies with all regulations and major European schemes on waste management, such as the Waste Management Act and the Green Dot schemes.
• Participate in voluntary industry initiatives. Under the umbrella of the International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products (AISE), the industry voluntarily cut laundry packaging use by 6.7 per cent between 1996 and 2001. P&G has very actively participated in this initiative and contributed a significant amount of the savings achieved.
• Limit or avoid the use of certain materials. P&G limits or avoids the use of certain materials in our packaging where it improves the safety profile, environmental quality, societal acceptability or compatibility with waste management systems.

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