Procter & Gamble Co.

Procter & Gamble Company is a US-based conglomerate that manufactures consumer goods under the brands of Tide, Dawn, Cascade, Pantene, Rejoice, Gillette, and Pampers. Its main products are home care, personal care, beauty, feminine care, and health care items. P&G's relevance to sustainable water management derives from its extensive use of water in production and the impact of its products on water consumption by its consumers.

Procter & Gamble (P&G) Company participates in potable water programs, produces water-saving products, and reuses water in its production process to enhance water sustainability. Its Children's Safe Drinking Water Program, which provides clean water to children and families in need, has tapped into the efforts of more than 150 partners to deliver more than 21 billion liters of clean water to more than 90 countries since 2004. As of now, the program has benefited 93 countries through the use of P&G's Purifier of Water packets that ensure people have access to clean drinking water.

P&G Company invests in the production of products that promote water conservation. Its Dawn Powerwash tablets help conserve water as they allow users to wait until the final rinse without having left the tap running midway. This invention helps people reduce water consumption by at least 50% when washing dishes, especially for those who usually leave the tap running. In addition, the company has produced Pantene and Rejoice No Rinse Conditioners for people who opt to leave their shower water unused.

The company's reports on water sustainability entail information on freshwater withdrawal, water reuse, and water productivity. In 2023, for instance, P&G Company reported using 69.9 million cubic meters of freshwater and reusing 3.47 billion liters of water in its production processes. Its water productivity increased by 24% between 2010 and 2023, down from 27% year-over-year (YoY) registered in 2022. Between 2010 and 2023, the company's water productivity continued to rise, albeit at a slower pace than that of 2022.

The water stewardship initiatives of P&G Company extend beyond its production processes to promoting water conservation in the communities in which it operates. The company's cascade brand partnered with Change the Course in contributing to the creation of freshwater projects in the United States that will have a lasting effect on water sustainability. The initiative will see the recycling of 2.6 billion gallons of freshwater over the projects' lifespan, with 9.8 billion liters projected to be treated in the course of their operation. In India, the P&G Beauty division's Sustainable Guar Initiative involved the rehabilitation of a johad that has the potential of storing an additional 3.8 million liters of rainwater. Between 2019 and 2022, for instance, 1.6 million liters of water were harvested in the community, benefiting approximately 4500 residents in four villages.

One of the company's shortcomings regarding water sustainability entails the absence of information that compares the water intensity of its business against its competitors. While the company reports on freshwater withdrawal, water reuse, and water productivity, it does not report the aggregate water consumption, water discharged, or the volumes of water consumed in areas that are highly water-stressed.