Features

Engineering Grad Leads Clorox to a Clean Sweep

The company now ranks No. 1 for ‘Most Sustainable’ in the U.S.

By JOEY JOHNSTON ’81 | for USF Advancement

One of the nation’s iconic producers of household cleaning products, along with brands ranging from Kingsford charcoal to Burt’s Bees skin-care products, The Clorox Co. has a new claim to fame this year.

It ranked No. 1 in the U.S. for most sustainable companies. 

That came as welcome news to Jamie Owen, ’84, head of global climate stewardship for the 109-year-old manufacturer. When Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable U.S. Companies list debuted in 2018, Clorox landed at No. 9.

“Clorox is the No. 1 Most Sustainable Company now on that list! This is a big honor. We were number two last year,” Owen says. “This is really rewarding for me because I am directly responsible for a huge chunk of the results that go into this ranking.”

Owen’s leadership has helped Clorox reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 50%, well ahead of its 2030 goal, and the company plans to beat the U.N. Paris Agreement’s 2050 deadline for net-zero emissions. It’s on track to have 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable packaging by 2025 and a 50% reduction in plastic and fiber packaging by 2030. Twenty-five Clorox sites globally now send nothing to a landfill.

Clorox has also become a leader in manufacturing concentrates, which conserve water and make transportation more efficient. Over 12 years, the company has reduced its water use by 207 million gallons.

“I could have gone in many different directions with my career, maybe to an even higher level than I am now,’’ says Owen, who majored in chemical engineering. “But I’m doing this because it’s a personal passion. I can look back and get a sense of accomplishment. I’m not just helping a company make more money, I’m helping that company do some good.’’

Owen has worked at Clorox, based in Oakland, California, since 2004, stepping into the newly created climate stewardship job more than three years ago. His tenure included five years in charge of global safety, health, environment and sustainability and three years as plant manager.

In 2008, he helped craft Clorox’s first sustainability plan. Seven years later, 196 member states in the United Nations Climate Change Conference ratified the Paris Agreement, the international treaty focused on limiting global warming. 

“It was a game changer,’’ Owen says of the accord. “I think most people, especially the younger generation, understand this is a huge threat, while the older establishments and governments were slower to come around.

“There are some tough decisions needing to be made that will help economically in the longer term, but may not pay out super quickly. But we have to get to a better spot. We’ve got to get going.’’

At Clorox, where Owen and his team outline their strategies for workers at all levels, he knows some ideas may meet resistance.

“We show how it can help and why,’’ he says. “If we’re first to market with some of these sustainable ideas, we get more shelf space [at retail outlets]. Amazon is really high on sustainable solutions. Even if there’s a pain point for the company in the short term, we will be the market leaders in the long term. We can actually drive a brand transformation.’’

Alexis Limberakis, Clorox’s senior director of environmental sustainability, says Owen has been the right man for a challenging job.

“Driving the kind of industry change needed to address the climate crisis requires a heavy dose of optimism, persistence and practicality,’’ she says. “His effectiveness results from a wonderful blend of his deep-rooted passion for the environment and learning, balanced by pragmatism informed by years of experience managing supply.”

Owen didn’t grow up dreaming of ways to save the planet. In 1970s Tampa, he remembers his father taking materials to a drop-off recycling center — that was about it for conservation. USF offered no courses in environmental management or sustainability. 

But he did get valuable advice from Linus Scott, then the College of Engineering dean. Pursue a position with a large company and get a breadth of experience, he was told. Owen went to work for Proctor & Gamble and spent 20 years unraveling supply chains and learning business.

As the world grew more concerned about climate, his focus crystalized.

When he joined Clorox, Owen went back to school at the other USF — the University of San Francisco — earning a master’s in environmental management and sustainability. Education and experience empowered him to seek innovative solutions.

“Not only is Jamie passionate and dedicated, he’s also a thought leader in this field,’’ says Bill Morrissey, Clorox’s  former vice president of environmental sustainability, now retired, who worked with Owen to develop the company’s original sustainability strategy. “He was early to understand its importance for companies like Clorox.”  

The work continues to evolve. Owen is studying plant-based plastics. He’s visited 40 Clorox locations around the world, working to duplicate success stories throughout the company.

Wherever he went, he says, he found like-minded people.

“People in China were just as passionate as Argentina or Peru or Oregon or Arkansas. A lot of people care. That pumped me up.” 

For Owen, that’s renewable energy at its best.