Purell Parent Unveils Sustainability Strategy, Commitment to Clean Tech
GOJO Industries will concentrate on clean chemistry and safe ingredients for both people and the planet while maintaining efficacy
GOJO Industries has been keeping hands – and fitness centers – clean for years. The brand behind Purell recently unveiled the next phase of its sustainable value strategy, which includes an emphasis on clean chemistry and safe ingredients for people and the planet.
As the makers of Purell, the family–owned company has seen consumers through the good times and bad, providing germ protection through it all. The brand has become synonymous with cleanliness and its product, like Kleenex and QTips, has become a generic household term.
Hand sanitizer sales jumped 600% in 2020, that is, if you were one of the lucky ones to nab a bottle of the liquid gold during the height of the pandemic.
As the world transitions back to normalcy, GOJO says its purpose and values demand and inspire the company to think holistically and deliver what it calls the “GOJO Sustainable Value,” said Marcella Kanfer Rolnick, GOJO Industries Executive Chair.
“GOJO Sustainable Value strives to create social, environmental and economic value for all of our stakeholders and holds us accountable for the impact of our actions and inactions,” said Rolnick. “Each part of our Sustainable Value strategy connects to the others and moves us closer to realizing our purpose of saving lives and making life better through well-being solutions.”
GOJO’s latest goals are designed to transform its business and help innovate for a better world.
The Purell maker says it started a materiality assessment led by a third-party consultancy to collect feedback from customers, suppliers, relevant NGOs and team members. The process allows GOJO to pinpoint topics on which to focus. GOJO also developed targets with the input of executive team members.
As for the priorities of the new phase, GOJO will concentrate on clean chemistry, continuing to opt for safe ingredients for both people and the planet while maintaining efficacy. There will also be increased product transparency. Additionally, GOJO acknowledges that plastic pollution has become a serious challenge and will transform its products’ recyclability and explore alternative materials and delivery models. GOJO is also committed to short-term and long-term carbon reduction targets.
“We know the progress we’ll make on these four pillars will lead directly to better health for people and the planet,” said Carey Jaros, GOJO Industries President & CEO. “For more than 75 years, we’ve used science-based innovation to solve real human problems, setting new standards for efficacy and safety and inspiring others to develop solutions that increase overall well-being. This next phase of our Sustainable Value strategy stretches us to have an even greater impact on our customers and communities, and society as a whole.”
GOJO was founded in 1946 by Goldie and Jerry Lippman to provide a safer way for workers to clean their hands with a safe and effective solution. When it came to sustainability, the two were ahead of the curve, using old car window cranks for their first portion-controlled dispenser and recycled pickle jars for the solution.
By 2006, GOJO had released its first green hand cleaner, kicking off its official journey toward sustainability.
In 2011, the company published its first sustainability report and policy, was named the U.S. EPA Safer Choice Partner of the Year for Purell Surface Spray, and had hundreds of its Purell hand sanitizer and health soap with clean release technology SKUs certified cradle-to-cradle.
