SCA Hygiene Create value with Sustainability

Susan Iliefski-Janols, Environment & Product Safety, SCA Hygiene Products (Sweden) regards sustainability as an integral part of SCA’s business which adds value: 

•          Their Tenaflex range LCA shows 54% of impacts come from the raw materials, 28% from end-of-life and 19% from production, packaging and transport. 
•          They now integrate LCA with safety and cost aspects in a Life Cycle Management program.
•          40% of energy used is renewable and they are now building a wind-farm in Northern Sweden to increase this proportion.
•          They have a new priority: to redesign and reimagine products for improved sustainability...
•          ...and a new target: to convert only renewable resources with only renewable energy.

Examples of progress include a Tork napkin dispenser for food service which prevents more than one being taken at a time, reducing consumption by 25%, and a reusable belt for a Tena incontinence diaper which improves carbon footprint by 25%.  Between 2008 and 2011 they have reduced the carbon footprint of open diapers by 19% and of pant diapers by 8%.

Asked how this 19% CF reduction had been obtained Ms Iliefski-Janols said it was a series of small contributions from raw materials changes and design changes.  Was the reusable belt for Tena liked by consumers?  Yes – this approach had definite potential.