Dentaid: Growing family, going green!

In this interview, we talk to Marc Costa, Communications Strategy Manager for Dentaid.

If there is one thing that Marc Costa is passionate about it is improvement, and never-ending improvement at that!

“Sustainability is a long road, and we believe we are on the right path,” he enthuses when talking about sustainability. He also believes that improvement needs to start from the top. “We want a trickledown philosophy. We are a family company, fast growing and international. Sustainability is part of our values and DENTAID’s culture. Our purpose, to improve people's oral health, is absolutely aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well being for all at all ages."

Regarding environmental initiatives, "More responsible packaging, a better world" is the umbrella campaign that includes different actions focused on the reduction of materials and making product packaging recyclable. An example of this is the elimination of the box and leaflet of VITIS® mouthwashes, optimising their presentation to a single 100% PET container that helps recycling. Or the replacement of existing blister packs with responsible materials such as cardboard (recycled and recyclable) and polylactic acid (PLA), which is completely biodegradable. This strategy has been implemented on several products with more added in the short term.

Away from its actual products, DENTAID is looking at using more electric or hybrid cars. Fossil fuels vehicles are being progressively removed from the company. Also, there is a paperless initiative, aimed at reducing paper for internal and external use. This has seen a reduction of 45,461 fewer printed sheets, equivalent to 227kg and a reduction of 402kg of CO2!

Looking at ESG policy in the round, the above may satisfy the “Environment” part of the equation, but DENTAID is also focused on the S and the G.

Take its social agenda. For example, the continuing education programmes in oral health for professionals, which promote the dissemination of the latest scientific advances in this field. Internally, the company actively promotes work-life balance, with a hybrid work mix that allows employees to work two days a week from home. No less important, the company has a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion and equal opportunities as it has declared on its recently launched Ethic Code, created to guarantee good practices within DENTAID´s stakeholders.

Looking at the G part of the equation, “Governance” is certainly there, developing an appropriate corporate culture that enables good business performance and ethical behaviour with a commitment to the long term.

DENTAID has been around for 42 years, and is present in Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands within the EU; and Chile, Colombia, and Peru in Latin America in terms of subsidiaries, with distributors in many more countries.

It wants to do more, but one thing lies at the very heart of everything it does, and is planning to do. Health and wellbeing, with a clear objective: to improve people's oral health.

Any present and future decisions must take sustainability into account, believes Marc whilst adding: “all our sustainability must be related to health and wellbeing.” In other words, there is no benefit having a toothpaste that doesn’t help prevent tooth decay or other oral pathologies or conditions. The first thing is to offer the best possible solution for people."

DENTAID takes sustainability in all its forms seriously and therefore is aware that it must go further. “We need to keep improving continuously.”