SC Johnson Chairman and CEO Fisk Johnson Receives Inaugural Dr. Sylvia Earle Award at Ocean Planet Conference

Johnson Recognized for Bringing Global Attention to the Ocean Plastic Issue

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Oct 21, 2019, 11:38 ET

RACINE, Wis., Oct. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson, was honored with the inaugural Dr. Sylvia Earle Award over the weekend for his work in raising awareness of the ocean plastic pollution crisis. Johnson was presented with the award by Dr. Earle during the Ocean Planet Conference in Los Angeles.

Dr. Sylvia Earle presents the inaugural Dr. Sylvia Earle Award to Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson during the Ocean Planet Conference in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 19.

The Dr. Sylvia Earle Award was created to recognize those who have made substantial contributions to the ocean. Dr. Earle, honored as the first "Hero for the Planet" by Time magazine, is an oceanographer, explorer and author who has led more than 100 expeditions and logged more than 7,000 hours underwater. As the President and Chairman of Mission Blue / The Sylvia Earle Alliance, her goal is to inspire action to explore and protect the ocean.

"To be recognized as the first recipient of the Dr. Sylvia Earle Award is humbling," said Johnson. "Sylvia's lifelong commitment to protecting the ocean serves as an inspiration to so many around the world. The work we're doing at SC Johnson to tackle the ocean plastic crisis is about protecting our planet for future generations, and I encourage others to join us in solving this global problem."

As part of Johnson's efforts to raise awareness and address the ocean plastic crisis, SC Johnson and Plastic Bank recently launched a global partnership to stop plastic waste from entering the ocean and fight poverty. The three-year effort creates recycling infrastructure on a massive scale across five countries in Asia and Latin America, and pays residents to collect plastic in exchange for digital savings and rewards. Once the plastic is collected and exchanged, it will be recycled into the first-ever 100% Social Plastic® bottle, which SC Johnson will use for its iconic Windex® line beginning in February 2020.

At Work for a Better World – A Multi-Faceted Approach to Reducing Waste
The partnership with Plastic Bank is just one way SC Johnson is carrying out its commitment to help tackle plastic pollution. The company has steadily increased the use of post-consumer recycled plastic in its products and removed excess plastics wherever possible.

94% of SC Johnson's plastic packaging is designed to be recyclable, reusable or compostable. The goal is 100% by 2025.
SC Johnson uses post-consumer recycled bottles for several product lines.
SC Johnson removed more than 1.7 million kilograms of plastic from its primary packaging during fiscal year 2018/19.

Expanding Offerings of Concentrate Products
Since the unveiling of Windex® concentrates in 2011, SC Johnson has expanded its refill options to other popular cleaning brands, including Pledge®, Scrubbing Bubbles®, Shout® and fantastik®. Every time a consumer chooses a concentrate product, they use nearly 80% less plastic.

The new line of SC Johnson concentrates launched in the United States and Canada last summer, with Scrubbing Bubbles®, Windex® and fantastik® bottles available on Amazon. The next wave of concentrate refills – including Scrubbing Bubbles®, Windex® and Mr Muscle® – are launching in Mexico, the United Kingdom, China and Japan this fall.

Ellen MacArthur Foundation – The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment
Fisk Johnson was also one of only a select few CEOs to sign The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, an initiative led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in collaboration with UN Environment to establish a common vision for companies to help create a circular economy for plastics. As a part of that commitment, SC Johnson will make 100% of its plastic packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.

About the Ocean Plastic Conference
The Ocean Planet Conference, held October 18-19 in Los Angeles, brought together a broad range of top experts in ocean-related fields to discuss "the latest advancements in marine exploration, discovery, innovation, business and technology."

SOURCE SC Johnson