Henkel is a leading consumer goods company and supplier of bonding and sealing solutions that now certifies toilet rim block baskets under ISCC PLUS. This certification verifies the sustainability characteristics of their materials using the mass balance approach. But how does this translate into real value for the company behind the brand?
As we continue to celebrate more than six thousand valid ISCC PLUS certificates, Henkel offered us an inside perspective into how their ISCC certification supports meaningful change and supports their broader sustainability strategy by reducing dependency on fossil fuels and promoting the use of alternative materials for plastic production.
Henkel’s ISCC PLUS-certified product
While 30% of Henkel’s baskets for the toilet rim blocks consist of recycled plastic, the company makes up for the remaining 70% by financing the replacement of fossil fuels with renewable raw materials in accordance with the ISCC mass balance approach.
The Value of Certification for Renewable Materials
Consumer awareness of the mass balance approach may still be limited, but Henkel sees a rising interest in transparency, traceability and third-party verification with regards to the shift from fossil-based materials to renewable alternatives. ISCC PLUS supports Henkel in their commitment to providing customers and consumers with accurate, high-quality information on product materials by ensuring supply chain transparency and enabling full traceability of the linked mass balance process and material attribution. Therefore, the certification serves as a viable tool to strengthen Henkel’s consumer communication as it independently validates their sustainability efforts.
ISCC PLUS and the Climate Pledge Friendly Programme on Amazon – Industry and Consumer Responses
While Henkel points out that integrating certified materials into its supply chains adds additional complexity due to the increased reporting required for material allocation and tracking, their efforts confirm its value. A major benefit for Henkel is access to the Climate Pledge Friendly Programme on Amazon via ISCC PLUS, which gives consumers on the world’s largest e-commerce platform the chance to shop directly for certified goods, while promoting the value of transparent supply chains.
The Climate Pledge Friendly Programme allows consumers to discover and shop for third-party certified products on Amazon, including those certified under ISCC PLUS. Each qualified product is marked with a green leaf icon to signal products that meet ISCC certification standards.
Henkel maintains that external certifications, such as ISCC PLUS, are powerful in helping to build trust, particularly when paired with well-known labels. This allows Henkel to present their efforts in a format which consumers recognise, understand and value – as reflected by Amazon in an average 12% sales uplift for certified products carrying the Climate Pledge Friendly label within the first year joining the programme1.
Henkel’s Commitment to Renewable Materials
Henkel remains committed to the responsible management of raw materials with a focus on conserving natural resources by integrating renewable-based materials into its products wherever it aligns with environmental, economic and social considerations of Henkel. Given the complexity and scale of chemical production processes, the company views the mass balance approach as an important means of accelerating the transition to renewable raw materials.. This will allow the company to implement more alternative material sourcing practices within existing production systems in support of broader integration across the product portfolio. Such an approach becomes especially valuable where no technical recycling solutions for plastics currently exist. In those cases, using ISCC PLUS-certified materials offers a practical alternative to contribute to Henkel’s sustainability commitment.
This collaborative approach has not only enabled advancements in renewable material sourcing but also fostered strong partnerships throughout the value chain, as reflected in Henkel’s experience with ISCC PLUS.
One of the most rewarding aspects of working with ISCC PLUS has been the close collaboration with both the certification body and with partners across the value chain. This cooperation has helped bring shared sustainability goals to life in a credible and tangible way.
Support the Transition to a Circular Economy
ISCC PLUS certification is an effective instrument for increasing transparency and traceability across the entire value chain. This, in turn, supports the shift from fossil-based to renewable raw materials and, in Henkel’s case, further enables credible communication of the company’s sustainability efforts to a steadily growing number of eco-conscious consumers.
Would you like to learn more about ISCC PLUS? Visit our website to start your ISCC PLUS journey!
Sources
1: 2024, Amazon.