Advancing Our Operations with a Focus on Sustainability

Supply Chain operations are a crucial part of our business – it's at the core of what makes Edgewell run. These teams often work hand in hand with our Sustainability team to drive progress and improve our business. We achieved great things last year, with the release of our FY23 Sustainability Report, we became more efficient and continued to make progress toward our commitments, but it doesn’t stop there. There are still adjustments to be made and work to be done.

We’re dedicated to reducing energy and water usage while maintaining efficient operations. Our global manufacturing teams are constantly looking for ways to conserve energy at our sites. Thanks to these efforts, as of FY23 we achieved an 11.3% reduction in energy usage compared to our FY19 baseline, exceeding our 2030 energy reduction goal. On top of this, we aimed to reduce water usage by 5% compared to the FY19 baseline by 2030. In FY23, we exceeded this goal by achieving a 5.2% reduction in water usage. I am proud of our Operations team for their commitment and persistence in achieving these goals well ahead of schedule.

On a product level, our company’s purpose — make useful things joyful — and our sustainability vision go hand in hand. Product design plays an important role in both, and for Edgewell, it goes beyond just how our products look and work. We also focus on how innovation and design can influence our operations — from the materials we use, to our ethical and responsible sourcing practices, and our ongoing pursuit of reduced operational impact.

For example, our Sun Care team launched a very exciting product this year – Banana Boat 360 Coverage Sunscreen Mist, which features a reusable pump sprayer that can be used again and again with corresponding refill bottles. This innovation provides a new way to spray, with a dual function non-aerosol mist. The refill bottles contain 25% post-consumer recycled plastic and can be recycled where facilities exist .

On top of this, our team in Ormond Beach, FL reimagined the production process of our Banana Boat Sport Ultra spray sunscreen by introducing an innovative cold processing method – a new method that doesn't involve any heat and actively reduces water use during manufacturing, all while keeping the high product quality that consumers know and love.

Another example of how we’re keeping sustainability top of mind, is our shift to regionalize our operations. This means we’re moving products between our facilities and situating our machines closer to the consumer. This not only makes us more efficient but also reduces our environmental impact. As part of this, we’ve shifted a significant part of our European sunscreen business to be produced in Europe which streamlines our operations and reduces our carbon footprint by cutting back on transportation distances.

When it comes to transportation, we're also exploring ways to optimize and manage our distribution. When possible, we look for ways where we can be more efficient with how we transport our products, like shifting to carriers with lower emissions and using fuel-efficient options. We also focus on maximizing truckloads, cutting down on empty delivery miles, and consolidating shipments to reduce the number of trucks on the road.

I can confidently say that our teams are always looking for ways to be better, faster and stronger. Part of how we do this is to make sure we’re operating sustainably. It’s a key business enabler at Edgewell and it helps to make many of our processes, innovations and products better for it. I am proud of our company’s success and commitment to our sustainability goals, and I'm even more proud to be leading a team that executes their already complex jobs, while also being mindful of our environmental footprint. I believe that this is part of what makes Edgewell so great and I’m happy to be leading a team that achieves such amazing progress.