Colgate

Colgate doesn't make any ingredient commitments at the brand-level. Its parent company makes some commitments across all owned brands, but it's unclear what applies to this brand, and its sourcing has been criticized in the past by organizations such as Rainforest Action Network. Choice of ingredients is a strong determinant of environmental impact. Colgate still uses many petrochemical-based ingredients that pose a significant threat to the climate. Colgate doesn't report having any product or company-level certifications.

Colgate hasn't made any efforts to concentrate its products or minimize its containers, which increases shipping emissions and packaging volumes. Its parent company, Colgate-Palmolive, has made efforts to reduce virgin plastic and plastic waste in its product containers, including by working to shift to recyclable toothpaste tubes. However, these recyclable tubes are criticized since many facilities aren't able to process them and have to send them to landfill. Colgate-Palmolive is open-sourcing its research and working to promote infrastructure updates to improve this. Colgate-Palmolive reports using eco-friendly materials in product containers across all owned brands, including ones that are recyclable or FSC-certified.

Colgate's parent company, Colgate-Palmolive, shares information on its overall energy strategy. It uses a majority of renewable energy to power its production sites and corporate offices, and has detailed targets for expanding its use of renewable energy to 100% by 2030. Colgate-Palmolive implements energy efficiency measures in its production sites and corporate offices. It also implements water conservation measures, including setting targets to reduce water intensity and aiming for net zero water by 2030. Colgate has a global production span, which is standard for the industry.

Colgate doesn't utilize any alternative models or methods to avert waste. Its parent company, Colgate-Palmolive has many TRUE Zero Waste certified facilities to help reduce its footprint.

Colgate doesn't frequently release seasonal or new products, which helps prevent production of excess inventory.

Commons is still evaluating this brand's marketing emails.

Colgate has a prominent sustainability page with very brief high-level details on its climate strategy. It doesn't link customers to its more thorough parent company site. Its parent company, Colgate-Palmolive, publishes a detailed annual report with a clear, impact-driven strategy and progress reporting. Its last annual report was published in 2023. Colgate shares a complete list of ingredients used in its products, on a per product basis.

Colgate's parent company, Colgate-Palmolive, internally measures and publicly reports its company-level emissions in partnership with, or with auditing from, a third party. It includes a breakdown by scope and identifies its top driver of emissions. The last reporting period was 2023. In its most recent update, its estimated emissions footprint was 46,683,986 tons CO2e.

Colgate-Palmolive, the parent company of Colgate, has SBTi-approved emissions reduction targets for the medium-term (5-10 years) and long-term (10+ years). It has provided updated numbers in the past year, and is on track for some of its targets, but its progress-reporting transparency could be improved. Commons couldn't find evidence that this brand offsets any emissions.

Colgate's parent company publishes limited information about its supply chain partners, disclosing their geographic locations. It publicly shares a supplier code of conduct, which prohibits forced labor, prohibits child labor, and includes environmental clauses. Its code of conduct doesn't disallow unauthorized subcontracting, ensure the right to collective bargaining where not allowed by law, ensure a living wage, or establish grievance mechanisms. Colgate-Palmolive doesn't have a stated policy of regularly auditing its supply chain partners. This may increase human and environmental risks.

Colgate-Palmolive, the parent company of Colgate, doesn't openly disclose its climate-obstructive trade association memberships. It's a member of 1 large climate-obstructive trade association: Personal Care Products Council. Colgate-Palmolive isn't a member of advocacy organizations advancing climate policy. It doesn't employ any state lobbyists and didn't donate more than $100k to climate-obstructive candidates or PACs from 2018-2024.