At Philips, we think innovation should be about creating quality products you can love for a long time, then recycle. We’ve put this mindset into action in many ways over the years, and we’re only getting started.

 

Our goal is to create products that can be recycled and re-used. To make sure select returned items don’t go to waste, we refurbish and resell them in select markets with a full guarantee. We also developed our Lumea "try and buy" model. It’s where we offer customers the choice of renting instead of buying our products. When the rental period is over, we take the product back, then refurbish it so it can be used by another customer.

 

Outside of renting and refurbishing, we keep our products living longer by offering a selection of replaceable parts. And we’re even making progress in designing domestic appliances that are easy to fix. In the future, we want to offer consumers more ways to enjoy our products for longer — and will continue designing for recyclability and repair. It’s all in service of our ultimate goal to use less and re-use more.

Our sustainable design, by the numbers

7x

countries now offer refurbished products.

We’ve scaled up from one country in 2019. And in 2020, we sold more than 30,000 refurbished items, helping us save precious resources and reduce waste.

We’ve scaled up from one country in 2019. And in 2020, we sold more than 30,000 refurbished items, helping us save precious resources and reduce waste.

90%

of industrial waste at our Philips wide factories was recycled during 2020.

And that recycled waste can be transformed into materials for other products, which reduces our environmental impact!

And that recycled waste can be transformed into materials for other products, which reduces our environmental impact!

1500+

accessories and spare parts are available.

This allows consumers to exchange parts so they can keep products longer, instead of replacing them.

This allows consumers to exchange parts so they can keep products longer, instead of replacing them.

In our industry, plastic has long been in demand for its durability, versatility and light weight. But it’s no secret that it can end up polluting our natural environments when it's not disposed of in the right way. And new plastic, or virgin plastic, is created using fossil fuels, which contribute to climate change.


In our efforts to cut down on our environmental impact, we know we need to use less virgin plastic. That’s why we’ve teamed up with suppliers and recyclers worldwide to use more recycled materials in products and packaging. We think of it as a commitment to "vintage" plastic. And while we don't have access to enough quality recycled plastic to replace all the virgin plastic in our products right now, by 2025, we're aiming to quadruple our use of recycled material.


To help make our products easier to recycle, we're phasing out chemicals like PVC and BFR. By 2025, our goal is to remove those chemicals from all possible products — with power cords being the exception. We're also exploring new exciting plastic options that have a link to the natural world. Have you heard of bio-based plastic? It's quality plastic sourced from plants or other biological materials — like used cooking oil! If you want to learn more, check out our new Breakfast Set, made from 100% bio-based plastic.


All together, these material innovations are propelling us towards a more eco-friendly future. By repurposing existing materials — and designing our own for re-use — we’re able to minimize waste and take less from the environment. 

Our material commitments, by the numbers

7600

tons of recycled plastics in products by 2025.

In 2020 alone, we used over 1930 tons of recycled plastic in our products. By 2025, our goal is to quadruple this to 7600. That's the same weight as 35 Boeing 747s! Let’s say it again, 35 Boeing 747 — now that’s big!

In 2020 alone, we used over 1930 tons of recycled plastic in our products. By 2025, our goal is to quadruple this to 7600. That's the same weight as 35 Boeing 747s! Let’s say it again, 35 Boeing 747 — now that’s big!

84%

of our consumer products sold are now easier to recycle.

We’ve already removed chemicals that make recycling difficult (like PVC and BFR) in most of our products. Our next goal is to phase them out entirely by 2025. This change will make our products easier to recycle into new materials at the end of their lives.

We’ve already removed chemicals that make recycling difficult (like PVC and BFR) in most of our products. Our next goal is to phase them out entirely by 2025. This change will make our products easier to recycle into new materials at the end of their lives.

>75%

recycled cardboard in our packaging.

This helps us save precious resources. And in cases where we can’t use recycled cardboard, we use FSC-certified cardboard, meaning it comes from a forest that is sustainably managed.

This helps us save precious resources. And in cases where we can’t use recycled cardboard, we use FSC-certified cardboard, meaning it comes from a forest that is sustainably managed.

In 2020, we became carbon neutral in our operations, from our own factories to offices, logistics and travel. To put it simply, that means we remove as much carbon as we release into the atmosphere. We got there by switching to wind and solar power instead of traditional electricity from fossil fuels that contribute to climate change. And in those cases where we can’t use renewable energy (like travel and logistics), we buy carbon offsets, which compensate for emissions by funding various reforestation and forest conservation projects in emerging regions. In the future, we’ll continue cutting down on remaining emissions to reduce the impact we have on the environment.

 

But to do our part in the battle against climate change, we have to look beyond our operations. This may come as a surprise: up to 80% of our products’ overall environmental impact comes from their use in homes. To help you use less energy without even trying, we’ve been developing high-quality, energy-efficient products for almost three decades. And we’re producing more every day that go beyond legal requirements. So if you’re in the market for a new home appliance, don’t forget to look for energy-efficient chargers and features like eco mode or auto shut off. Trust us, while the energy saved by one product may seem small, together, we can drastically reduce our impact on the environment.

Our energy efforts, by the numbers

70%

of our revenue comes from products that surpass legal requirements for energy efficiency.*

The home is where we, as a company, can make the most difference for the environment. That’s why we’re innovating every day to develop appliances that use less energy.

The home is where we, as a company, can make the most difference for the environment. That’s why we’re innovating every day to develop appliances that use less energy.

Through investing in renewable electricity and carbon offsets, our global operations emit net zero carbon into the atmosphere. But we’re not done.  By 2025, we plan on phasing out fossil fuels from our operations, and sourcing 75% of our global energy consumption from renewable sources.

Through investing in renewable electricity and carbon offsets, our global operations emit net zero carbon into the atmosphere. But we’re not done.  By 2025, we plan on phasing out fossil fuels from our operations, and sourcing 75% of our global energy consumption from renewable sources.

100%

of operations powered by renewable electricity.

No electricity from polluting sources here. We only use renewable electricity — like wind and solar power — in our factories, offices and sites around the world.

No electricity from polluting sources here. We only use renewable electricity — like wind and solar power — in our factories, offices and sites around the world.

*Battery Charging: Reference is either USA Department of Energy (DOE) requirements for battery charging Standby/off-mode/networked standby: reference to EU legal requirements for products that are mains operated On-mode: For products with >10KWh/year energy consumption, like hairdryers and bottle warmers we created our own internal standard, often relying on external IEC standard or competitor performance.

Recognition and Awards

CSR rating
PACE logo
CDP A List
DOW Jones
EcoVadis image
Paris 2015
SEDEX logo
Global capital
Science Based targets
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