Reckitt Benckiser Sustainability - SustainabilityTracker.com

Sustainability Summary

Good On You - Not found
Ethical Consumer - Locked
B Corp - Not found
Trustpilot - 1.7/5 (18 reviews)
This is an unclaimed profile. Reckitt Benckiser has not joined Sustainability Tracker to verify their sustainability credentials. We gathered what we could from public sources.

Reckitt is a global consumer health and hygiene company founded in 1840 and based in the United Kingdom. Its sustainability focus is tied to its core business: improving access to health, hygiene, and safe water while cutting its environmental impact. The company says it works across four main areas: resilient health, water access, stronger communities, and environment. It reports progress on emissions, renewable electricity, water, and social impact, and says it publishes sustainability reports and ESG data. Independent sources show a mixed picture: there is evidence of strong reporting and some progress on climate and energy, but also concerns about water use, supply-chain emissions, and past controversies.

Positive Sentiment Found
Public sentiment is mixed, with some positive signs around Reckitt’s reporting and climate work. Independent assessment notes that the company has cut operational emissions ahead of schedule, uses 96% renewable electricity, and publishes detailed ESG data with limited external assurance from ERM CVS, a third-party verifier that checks selected figures. The company also reports a 2024 CDP Water Security score of A- in the independent assessment, and it is described as a RE100 member with a 2030 renewable electricity goal. On the positive side, the company’s sustainability reporting appears broad and structured, covering climate, water, nature, and social impact. Some third-party commentary also points to strong disclosure on Scope 1 and 2 emissions and formal targets for 2030 and 2040.

Common Criticisms:
The negative picture is driven by weak consumer review scores and several independent concerns about the company’s wider ESG profile. Trustpilot shows very low ratings for Reckitt pages, including 1.5 out of 5 from 56 reviews on reckittbenckiser.co.uk and 1.7 out of 5 from 18 reviews on www.reckitt.com, which suggests poor customer sentiment overall. Independent assessment also says Scope 3 emissions make up 97% of the company’s footprint and that the reduction path is still unclear, while water use increased year on year and circularity remains limited for a business built around disposable goods. The same assessment points to past controversies, including a 2014 French antitrust fine and a 2016 Australian fine over misleading Nurofen marketing. It also notes gaps such as no published lobbying audit.

About Reckitt Benckiser

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Reckitt Benckiser Sustainability Actions

Set four impact focus areas

Reckitt says it organises its sustainability work around four main areas: resilient health, water access, stronger communities, and environment. In plain terms, that means it tries to improve health and hygiene, support safe water and sanitation, back local community projects, and reduce its environmental footprint. The company presents these as the places where it believes it can have the biggest effect through its brands, partnerships, and business reach.

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Reported lower Scope 1 and 2 emissions

Reckitt reports a 73% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions versus 2015. Scope 1 means direct emissions from its own operations, and Scope 2 means emissions from purchased electricity and energy. The company also says it had 96% renewable electricity in 2024. Independent assessment notes that this is a real operational improvement, although it also says the wider supply chain still makes up most of the company’s climate impact.

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Expanded water and sanitation work

Reckitt says it works to expand access to safe water and sanitation through partnerships. It also reports three water-positive sites in water-stressed regions, which means those sites return or restore more water than they use in those places. The company links this work to community resilience and says it invests in projects that help people access cleaner water and better hygiene.

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Published reporting and ESG data

Reckitt says it publishes annual sustainability and impact reports, an ESG Data Book, and reporting policies through its Reporting Hub. It also says it shares ESG ratings information. A job posting on sustainability reporting shows the company works across major reporting frameworks such as CSRD, ISSB, GRI, TCFD, and TNFD. Those are reporting systems used to explain climate, nature, and wider ESG risks in a structured way.

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Reshaped the business portfolio

In July 2024, Reckitt said it would focus more tightly on its core health and hygiene brands and look at options for its Essential Home and Mead Johnson Nutrition businesses. This was presented as a move to create a simpler organisation with fewer management layers and less duplication. The company said the change would help it move faster and use resources more efficiently, while keeping attention on its main consumer health and hygiene products.

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Reckitt Benckiser Sustainability Commitments

2030

Reach 100% renewable electricity

Reckitt says it is a member of RE100, a group of companies that commit to using 100% renewable electricity, and it is targeting full renewable electricity by 2030. The company reported 96% renewable electricity in 2024, so this is a future step to close the remaining gap.

2030

Cut Scope 3 emissions by half

Reckitt says it has a target to reduce Scope 3 emissions by 50% by 2030. Scope 3 means emissions from the wider value chain, such as suppliers, product use, and transport. Independent assessment says this is the hardest part of the company’s climate footprint because it makes up most of total emissions and the reduction path is still not fully clear.

2040

Aim for net zero across all scopes

Reckitt says it aims to reach net zero across all scopes by 2040. Net zero means cutting emissions as much as possible and balancing any remaining emissions with removals or other measures. The company also says it is working toward a nature-positive future, but independent sources note that the detailed pathway for the full supply chain still needs more clarity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Has Reckitt published a sustainability report?

Confidence: High. As of September 2026, Reckitt says it publishes annual sustainability and impact reports, an ESG Data Book, and reporting policies through its Reporting Hub. It also says it shares ESG ratings information. Independent material supports that the company has a structured reporting approach, including climate and water disclosures. Consumers who want the latest documents can check Reckitt’s Reporting Hub and ESG information pages on its website.. Sources: Reckitt sustainability, Reckitt homepage - https://reckitt.com/sustainability, https://reckitt.com

What is Reckitt's sustainability rating?

Confidence: High. As of September 2026, one independent assessment on SINK gives Reckitt a sustainability score of 38/100, described as “Below expectations.” SINK is a public-data climate assessment that scores companies on emissions, energy, water, waste, and related issues. The same assessment says Reckitt is strong on operational emissions and renewable electricity, but weaker on Scope 3 emissions, water use, and circularity. Trustpilot also shows poor customer sentiment, with 1.7 out of 5 on the main Reckitt page.. Sources: SINK, Trustpilot - https://www.sinkproject.com/company/reckitt-benckiser, https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.reckitt.com

What sustainability certifications does Reckitt have?

Confidence: Moderate. As of September 2026, Reckitt’s public material mentions RE100 membership, which is a commitment to use 100% renewable electricity, but the scraped content does not show a formal certification like B Corp or GOTS. It also refers to third-party assurance from ERM CVS on selected emissions and water figures, which means some data has been checked by an outside verifier. The company also says it uses forestry standards such as FSC and PEFC for paper and board targets.. Sources: Reckitt sustainability, SINK - https://reckitt.com/sustainability, https://www.sinkproject.com/company/reckitt-benckiser

What is Reckitt's carbon footprint?

Confidence: High. As of September 2026, Reckitt reports a 73% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions versus 2015, and independent assessment says its 2024 Scope 1 emissions were 107,029 tonnes of CO2e and Scope 2 market-based emissions were 6,714 tonnes of CO2e. Scope 1 is direct emissions from its own operations, while Scope 2 comes from purchased electricity and energy. The same assessment says Scope 3 still makes up most of the footprint, so the full climate picture is not yet solved.. Sources: Reckitt sustainability, SINK - https://reckitt.com/sustainability, https://www.sinkproject.com/company/reckitt-benckiser

Is Reckitt's packaging sustainable?

Confidence: Moderate. As of September 2026, Reckitt says it is working on packaging through targets for recycled or certified paper and board, and independent assessment says it tracks packaging metrics with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation framework. That said, the available material does not prove that all packaging is sustainable. The company also operates a large disposable-goods business, and the independent assessment says circularity outcomes are still underdeveloped. Consumers looking for product-level packaging details should check the specific brand or product page.. Sources: SINK, Reckitt sustainability - https://www.sinkproject.com/company/reckitt-benckiser, https://reckitt.com/sustainability

Is Reckitt ethical on labour and supply chain issues?

Confidence: Moderate. As of September 2026, Reckitt says it works with suppliers and reports across major ESG frameworks, but the scraped material does not give a full independent labour audit of the whole supply chain. The company has a large global supply chain, and a job posting shows it has dedicated sustainability reporting and stakeholder engagement roles. However, the available independent material focuses more on climate and water than on worker conditions, so there is not enough evidence here to make a strong labour verdict. Consumers may want to look for supplier codes and audit results.. Sources: Reckitt sustainability, StudySmarter job listing - https://reckitt.com/sustainability, https://talents.studysmarter.co.uk/companies/reckitt-benckiser-llc/head-of-sustainability-reporting-communications-9694338/

What is Reckitt doing about sustainability?

Confidence: High. As of September 2026, Reckitt says it is focusing on health, water access, stronger communities, and lower environmental impact. It reports progress on emissions, renewable electricity, water-positive sites, and social impact programmes, and it says it is aiming for net zero by 2040. Independent assessment confirms some progress, especially on operational emissions and renewable electricity, but also says the company still has major challenges in Scope 3 emissions, water use, and circularity. Consumers can review the company’s Reporting Hub for the latest updates.. Sources: Reckitt sustainability, SINK - https://reckitt.com/sustainability, https://www.sinkproject.com/company/reckitt-benckiser

Reckitt Benckiser Sustainability Profile

Sustainability Summary

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