Eco-Payback
Enkel recharges the environment.
At Enkel, we have many responsible initiatives, and one of them is ‘Eco-Payback’: a fee to compensate nature. We calculate the total emissions produced by the manufacturing of any of our products. Such emissions are measured in CO2 kilograms. Then, we purchase 10 times the equivalent of the sum of the emissions in reforestation and carbon capture. For example, if the manufacturing of a product generates 2 kg of CO2 emissions, we purchase 20 kg of carbon credits. These credits offset the emissions by absorbing CO2 gas from the atmosphere. In addition, our shipping packaging material is recycled, and we compensate for the emissions produced by shipping with CO2 capture.
How is Eco-Payback calculated?
The manufacture of any product emits CO2 that warms the planet and lasts thousands of years in the atmosphere (unless the production is 100% sustainable, which is a very difficult process). GWP or Global Warming Potential is a unit that represents one Kg of CO2 in the atmosphere for a period of 100 years. GWP helps to understand the environmental impact of the production of any raw material or goods. For example, if we have a product with a value of three GWP, that means that its production causes three times more harm than one kilogram of CO2 in the environment that stays there for about 100 years. There are many metrics to measure environmental impact, however, in our opinion, GWP is more realistic as considers the factor of time in its equation: CO2 particles can last 100 years in the atmosphere. So, if you plant a tree, what would be its optimal maturity age to absorb the desired amount of CO2? and for how long that tree has to be in that optimal state?
We calculate the GWP value on each of our products, and such values are converted into currency. Once we have a GWP equivalent in dollars, Enkel Eco-Payback contributes 10 times more of that value to reforestation and carbon capture programs. So, we make sure to not only fully offset our emissions, but also over-compensate them and achieve negative CO2 values. In addition, we consider the consumption of energy and emissions in shipping. On average, a package travels 1,000 km and generates 1 Kg of CO2 in the atmosphere. These calculations are also included in our GWP values per sale.
Why is it important to offset CO2 emissions?
Reforestation and carbon capture helps to reduce global warming because forests convert CO2 into oxygen and carbon capture stores CO2 underground. The reduction of CO2 in the atmosphere helps to cool down the climate. Enkel partnerships with Pachama, Climeworks, and Shopify Planet, to contribute with carbon credits on their offset programs. Their programs have reduced thousands of tons of CO2 worldwide. We believe that sustainable companies can be achieved by 1) internal responsible practices, 2) contracting responsible and transparent suppliers, and 3) partnership with sustainability programs to offset emissions that currently are difficult to control. As sustainable practices become more complex and efficient, we will see carbon-negative companies in the near future, and that is one of our goals. Under that view, the demand for the practices mentioned above will require more responsible companies, and that will bring health to industries and the environment.
