Our bottles are high-density polyethylene (HDPE), the same plastic in milk jugs, not polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the plastic used for water bottles.
It takes less energy to make HDPE bottles than PET ones, according to a 2010 Franklin Associates study, so we're off to a good start.
The cornerstone of our approach to sustainable bottles is a commitment to improving each bottle's PCR content so we can avoid the need to take any more petroleum out of the ground and to make use of bottles that would otherwise end up in landfills.
We wanted to take our 25% PCR bottles and bring them all the way up to 90% PCR (as of March 2011, these bottles are now 96% PCR).
This means that the plastic in the bottles would be 100% recycled content; the remainder of the bottle contains calcium carbonate, which adds strength, and titanium dioxide, which adds the white color that signals to recycling centers that it is an HDPE bottle.
Seventh Generation is committed to making products that are safe for people and the environment.
At Seventh Generation, we not only consider the safety of our own products, but that of the entire value chain as well. This includes the use of substances that may affect the health of the workers producing our ingredients and the quality of the air emissions and wastewater effluent at the plants processing our ingredients.
As we discover each point where toxic substances may be used or produced, we will develop a strategy which will link with our other initiatives to use green chemistry. We will then work with our suppliers to do things differently — substituting a different alcohol for methanol, for example. Our goal is to substitute green processes, not only for our own suppliers, but for our industry as well. | 
