Tom's of Maine Updates Company Goals And Progress In Newest Edition Of Its Goodness Report

Energy and Water Conservation on Track, Reducing Virgin Material for Packaging a Priority

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May 15, 2014, 10:00 ET

KENNEBUNK, Maine, May 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- What's inside companies that you support and who are the people behind the brand? Do they share your values? What drives the decisions they make? The second edition of the Tom's of Maine Goodness Report shines a light on the company's approach to ingredients, packaging, waste, water, energy and community as well as its employees. The new report, released today, shows progress against 11 key goals and how human, healthy and environmental values guide the company's sustainable business practices.

"We've had strong success since our first Goodness Report where we put a stake in the ground on key areas we are passionate about," said Tom's of Maine CEO Tom O'Brien. "While we've been focused on sustainability for four decades, we're still inspired to never settle for 'good enough.' We made some strong strides in working smarter with energy and water in the last year and we're encouraging employees at every level to imagine more sustainable possibilities."

Key company updates and progress, covering 2012 and 2013, include:

Moving to 100% petroleum-free version of propylene glycol for the company's popular line of natural deodorants
Exploring potato-based biopackaging made from Maine potatoes for the company's mouthwash bottles and deodorant canisters
Reducing water consumption at the company's manufacturing facility from 4.3 CuM/Metric Ton of product made in 2011 to 2.5 by 2020
Establishing a West Coast distribution center and using more trains and fewer trucks to move products across the country, allowing the company to achieve its 2020 goal of reducing carbon emissions six years early
Achieving a goal of 85% of employee participation in giving back to the community by using the company's 5% volunteer benefit, which equals 12 full paid days per year
Capturing steam in the company's Sanford, ME manufacturing facility and reusing it as a way to conserve water and improve energy efficiency

Decreasing the percentage of virgin materials used in packaging and ultimately converting all products to sustainable packaging is a challenge the company continues to address.

"There's no question our industry can and must do better when it comes finding more innovative solutions for packaging that are better for the earth while still meeting FDA requirements," O'Brien added. "The good news is there are new technologies emerging and with some cross-industry collaboration we may be able to reach a scale where the technology works for everyday use."

For the first time, this year's Goodness Report includes a number of video interviews with Tom's employees providing their perspective on key content areas of the Report. A companion video entitled "What's Inside Tom's of Maine" goes behind the scenes to profile employees on what motivates them at work and why they are drawn to Maine.

The Tom's of Maine Goodness Report features benchmarking completed in 2012 and 2013, an update on products and projects supported in recent years and a goals tracker for 2015 and beyond.

About Tom's of Maine
Tom's of Maine is a leading natural products company focused on oral and personal care, offering high quality toothpaste, mouthwash, dental floss, deodorant and bar soap products. The company has a long-standing commitment to supporting people, communities and the planet. For nearly 45 years, Tom's of Maine has sponsored hundreds of nonprofit efforts by giving 10% of its profits back to organizations that support human and environmental goodness and by encouraging employees to use 5% (12 days) of employee time to volunteer. Tom's of Maine employees regularly contribute suggestions for improving the company's high sustainability standards. Their ideas - from wind power to recyclable packaging options --are critical to the company's sensitive way of doing business. Most Tom's of Maine products are vegan, kosher, halal-certified and gluten-free. All packaging is recyclable through a partnership with upcycling leader TerraCycle or participating municipalities. Visit us online at http://www.tomsofmaine.com/ or at http://www.facebook.com/TomsofMaine.

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SOURCE Tom's of Maine