ON OUR WAY TO NET ZERO
At Kohler, we believe better business and a better environment go hand in hand. We believe it, and we act on it. We feel a responsibility to work in harmony with nature, and in everything we do, we stay mindful of our responsibility to future generations.
We are working hard to reduce our environmental impact. We have committed to a goal of sending no solid waste to landfills, and reducing or offsetting 100% of our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – a program we call Net Zero 2035. We’re also committed to continuing innovation: to developing products that have lower environmental impact over their entire lifecycle, and to communicating messages of water efficiency and other sustainable practices to our associates, consumers and trade partners.
TREADING LIGHTLY ... NET ZERO BY 2035
Reducing our global environmental footprint to Net Zero by 2035 is the cornerstone of our sustainability goal. Given the types of products we manufacture, we believe monitoring and eliminating our output of greenhouse gases and solid waste along with decreasing our water consumption will have the greatest impact. Our initiatives run the gamut from capital investment to improve processes and equipment to switching from incandescent to LED lighting fixtures. In essence, we’re trying to “turn the lights off when you leave the room” on an industrial scale. We still have a long road ahead to reach Net Zero, but every step, big or small, puts us closer to our goal.
HOW WE'RE GETTING THERE ...
We’re learning as we go, and six years in, we believe more firmly than ever that integrating business and environmental principles is undeniably better – for our company, our associates, our customers and the environment. We believe, for us, it’s the only way forward.
SUSTAINABILITY, PRODUCT INNOVATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT
At Kohler we believe that quality and environmental responsibility go hand in hand. That’s how we meet ambitious sustainability goals while we design and manufacture our products to the same high standards you’ve come to expect from Kohler.
Believing in Better is the cornerstone of our commitment to innovation, stewardship and the environment. We also believe its good business to develop products that deliver performance and style in a way that’s respectful of the environment, so we are committed to increasing both the number of more environmentally favourable products in our portfolio and their share of our total sales.
Today, environmental impact is an important additional lens through which through which we view and approach innovation.
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Footprint Reduction |
Product Innovation |
Education and Action |
INNOVATION COMES FIRST
Our aim - first and foremost - is to pioneer design advancements that bring enhanced functionality and beautiful style to your life. Environmental considerations are one of the many lenses through which we approach innovation.
DESIGN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT (DfE)
Design for the Environment (DfE) is an approach to product development that considers the environmental impact of a product throughout its lifecycle – from the extraction of its raw materials through manufacturing, packaging, product use and to its ultimate end via recycling, repurposing, or disposal. In 2013, Kohler formalised its commitment to developing more environmentally favourable products and incorporated DfE principles into our product development process. We set criteria in the following areas to determine if a product really is more environmentally favourable:
• renewable/sustainable/recycled material content
• toxic material content
• volume or net weight (for shipping and warehousing)
• expected production waste
• water and/or energy consumption when in use
• emissions when in use
Today, DfE is a normal part of how Kohler designers approach their work. As recycling and reuse technologies continue to evolve, we continue to learn how to create products that you not only love and want in your life, but that make good environmental– and business – sense.
WE BELIEVE IN BETTER
See our global Believing in Better® Impact Reports to learn more about Kohler’s sustainability and stewardship efforts.