Connecticut
Connecticut-based Edgewell Personal Care Company recognized for sustainability
U.S. Environmental Protection has recognized Edgewell, a multinational consumer products company headquartered in Connecticut, as an industry leader in freight and supply chain environmental performance.
Zeyna Malik
Contributing Reporter
Daniel Zhao, Senior Photographer
Edgewell Personal Care Company, or Edgewell, a Shelton-based consumer products company, was recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for their efforts in running their company sustainably.
Edgewell received The SmartWay Excellence Award, which highlights the top environmental performers out of over 4,000 shipping companies, on Sept. 24. The company was one of 18 of SmartWay’s Partners recognized with this distinction.
“Our company’s purpose — make useful things joyful — and our sustainability vision go hand in hand,” Paul Hibbert, the chief supply chain officer, said. “We believe in innovating solutions, embracing opportunities and embedding practices throughout our operations and supply chain that move us forward on our sustainability journey.”
At Edgewell, sustainability is not just a department — it’s the heartbeat of the entire operation. From the boardroom to the packaging facilities, the retailer is dedicated to integrating sustainable practices into every aspect of their production and transportation processes.
Edgewell’s “people-first” approach significantly shapes its company culture. Each of their teams collaborates with the sustainability department to meet global consumer needs for personal wellness and hygiene products. This approach ensures sustainability is a key consideration while responding to consumer demand.
Before receiving the SmartWay Excellence Award, Edgewell had already made significant strides in sustainability across various aspects of their operations, products and packaging.
One notable achievement was the company’s success in reducing water usage by 5.2 percent by FY23, surpassing its goal of a five percent reduction compared to the FY19 baseline.
Innovation in manufacturing has also been a key focus for the company. At their Ormond Beach facility, a breakthrough cold processing technique for ingredient batching was introduced during the production of certain sunscreen formulations. This innovation removed the need for traditional heating, reducing energy consumption by 90 percent per batch and saving approximately 75,500,000 kilojoules annually. The new method not only increased production capacity but also significantly contributed to the company’s energy efficiency goals.
Packaging sustainability has been another focal point for the company. Edgewell introduced a reusable sprayer for its BANANA BOAT sunscreen, paired with refill bottles made from recycled plastic. This move was part of the company’s larger effort to reduce waste and support more sustainable product life cycles. Additionally, the CREMO brand redesigned its packaging to include higher percentages of recycled materials.
Amy Knight, the vice president of global sustainability, noted the progress in packaging sustainability, particularly in reducing “virgin petroleum-based plastic.” Edgewell achieved a 55.8 percent reduction in virgin plastic in their razors and blades segment, surpassing their original reduction goal ahead of schedule. According to Knight, this effort underscores the company’s broader commitment to embracing circular economy principles and minimizing packaging waste.
Initially, Edgewell’s sustainability efforts were concentrated on internal operations, such as reducing waste and energy consumption, as well as enhancing workplace conditions within its manufacturing sites. However, the company soon realized that broadening its focus to include product sustainability and actively engaging with consumers would have a more significant impact. This shift allowed them to drive their sustainability initiatives forward and communicate their importance to both customers and consumers.
With time, Edgewell expanded its focus beyond the environmental footprint of its manufacturing facilities to address its overall carbon impact. This required the implementation of comprehensive systems to collect and analyze large amounts of data. Using this data, the company is now assessing greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain to uncover reduction opportunities and create strategies for decarbonizing the business as much as possible.
“Some of the biggest challenges we face in integrating sustainability into our operations are the resource availability and the inconsistent standards of facilities across the globe,” Caroline Mallet, the vice president of innovation transformation, said. “The transition to sustainability is a complex but necessary process to ensure social responsibility and long-term relevance.”
Although implementing sustainable solutions is necessary, they often come with increased expenses that most consumers are reluctant to bear. As a result, the company must continually find a way to advance while ensuring that consumers are open to adopting these changes.
For example, when it comes to product packaging, most of it ends up as waste, making any innovation aimed at minimizing or eliminating this waste a positive development. However, packaging often serves as the main point of interaction with the customer, adding complexity to the issue.
Thinking ahead to emerging technologies and trends, Edgewell’s sustainability department is intrigued by the future intersection of AI and sustainability, according to Knight. While AI presents increasing environmental challenges, it also offers opportunities to track, enhance and expand the company’s efforts.
“We strive to embed sustainability deeper across our organization and at every stage of our product development,” Knight said. “And we entrust and empower our teammates to help bring our vision to life. It’s because of their passion and persistence that we are able to make progress across our global organization — whether through evolving products that inspire moments of consumer joy or embracing opportunities to reduce waste, emissions, energy use and water consumption.”
Edgewell Personal Care Company is headquartered in Shelton, Conn.
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You might have seen Connecticut’s state flag in government buildings and schools and wondered what the meaning was behind its design.
Adopted by the General Assembly in 1897, the Flag of Connecticut features a navy blue background with a white shield. Three grapevines with purple grapes are on the shield and oak leaves and acorns can be found on the shield’s edge.
Below the shield is a banner which features the phrase “Qui Transtulit Sustinet” written in Latin. According to ConnecticutHistory.org, that phrase translates to “He who transplanted still sustains,” which honors the colonists who moved to the state from England.
Per Encyclopedia Britannica, the three grapevines have two competing interpretations: they represent either the three oldest settlements in the state (Hartford, Wethersfield and Windsor) or the three colonies that merged to form Connecticut (Connecticut Colony, Saybrook Colony and New Haven Colony).
Why is the Connecticut flag blue?
According to ConnecticutHistory.org, the blue comes from Connecticut’s Civil War military flags. During the Civil War, Connecticut regiments had flags featuring blue backgrounds. ConnecticutHistory.org reports that when the legislature adopted an official flag in 1897, they kept the color that military tradition had already established.
Origins of Connecticut’s state flag
Per ConnecticutHistory.org, Connecticut did not have an official state flag until 1897. The site reports that in 1895, the Anna Warner Bailey Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Groton pushed for an official flag to display in their new meeting room.
Governor Owen Vincent Coffin introduced a bill on May 29, 1895, which ConnecticutHistory.org says caused the legislature to subsequently form a committee. After several designs were submitted, the Connecticut General Assembly adopted the flag in 1897.
Connecticut’s coat of arms, which includes the shield, grapevines and banner featured on the state flag, was not formally standardized until 1931, according to USASymbol.com. The website also says color standards for the flag came in 1956, when the Secretary of the State’s office developed uniform specifications.
A hit HBO documentary series is looking to Connecticut for stories to feature in its second season.
The show “Neighbors” follows on-going neighbor disputes across the country. The goal of the show is to help neighbors reach a resolution, according to the show’s casting director and executive producer Harleigh Shaw.
“Each story we explore, we spend extensive time with neighbors on both sides to really understand the full context beyond the disputes,” Shaw said.
Producers wanted to share stories in the second season that were based in states that weren’t featured earlier this year in the first season, including Connecticut, Shaw said.
“A lot of the things that we’re most interested in are things that may seem small, but become a bigger issue between the neighbors,” Shaw said. “Anything from disagreements over gardening practices to property lines to noise to dock issues, if it’s a waterfront property. A whole myriad of things. We’re really open to anything.”
However, the show does avoid situations that are violent or dangerous.
Residents from Connecticut looking to participate should be open to third party conflict resolution, according to Shaw.
“Some of the ways that we did that were through mediation,” Shaw said. “That’s a huge one. But there are other things in terms of resources we’d be open to help the neighbors to like help work through the issues.”
Filming will take place throughout the summer and is expected to be completed by the end of September.
The show’s production team is located in New York City and Los Angeles.
“Connecticut has always been really interesting because it’s just a short trip away, and we’re just curious to explore the types of neighbor dynamics that are going on there,” Shaw said.
Connecticut residents who are interested in being on “Neighbors,” can apply at helloneighbortv.com and are encouraged to submit information about themselves as well as their neighbor dispute.
“The neighbor disputes are the entry point for this show, but we’re always also just very interested in inspiring amazing people doing cool stuff,” Shaw said.
“Neighbors” premiered in February and was quickly renewed. The show averages about 3 million viewers per episode.
The show features stories that make viewers laugh and cringe, according to HBO Programming’s Executive Vice President Nina Rosenstein.
“At a time when even the smallest disagreements can spiral out of control, ‘Neighbors’ feels both hilariously absurd and surprisingly relatable,” Rosenstein said. “What makes the show special isn’t just the stories and people they find, but the empathy and humanity they bring to each episode.”
DANBURY, Conn. (WTNH) — Danbury drivers can expect hours-long closures on Sugar Hollow Road early Monday morning after a “serious” crash, according to local police.
Police said the morning crash has caused closures in both directions at the Ridgefield Line (Bennetts Farm Road) and at Miry Brook Road.
The road is expected to close for approximately three to four hours, police said.
Drivers are asked to seek alternate routes, including George Washington Highway and Route 53.
There are no words on injuries.
Additional information was not immediately available.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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