In today’s business landscape, the call for sustainability is louder than ever. From carbon footprints to circular economies, companies are under increasing pressure to prove that their profits aren’t coming at the planet’s expense. But while many corporations are still drafting roadmaps or making promises for 2030, Bath & Body Works is already making measurable strides—and earning accolades for it.
This week’s Corporate Spotlight shines on Bath & Body Works, a household name in personal care and home fragrances, for a transformative donation partnership with Good360—a collaboration that has not only reimagined retail waste management but has earned industry-wide recognition for environmental and social impact.
Award-Winning Impact: Environment + Energy Leader Honors Bath & Body Works
In 2025, Bath & Body Works received one of the most coveted recognitions in the corporate sustainability world: a Top Project of the Year Award from the Environment + Energy Leader Product & Project Awards. This accolade celebrates projects that make meaningful contributions to a more sustainable and responsible business landscape.
What made Bath & Body Works’ initiative stand out? Judges from more than 20 leading organizations across sectors recognized the brand for:
- Diverting nearly half a million pounds of product from landfills
- Donating more than 1.3 million personal care and fragrance items to communities in crisis
- Implementing a scalable, employee-driven program that blends environmental care with humanitarian relief
This project is proof that real sustainability isn't just about bold pledges—it's about thoughtful execution, creative collaboration, and social responsibility.
A Partnership Built on Purpose: Bath & Body Works x Good360
At the heart of this success lies a strategic alliance with Good360, a nonprofit that specializes in product philanthropy—bridging the gap between corporate surplus and community need. In 2023, Bath & Body Works and Good360 launched a pilot donation program that took unsold, marked-out-of-stock items and redirected them to people in need via food banks, shelters, and disaster recovery centers.
This wasn’t just a donation drive. It was a systematic, scalable solution to one of retail’s most overlooked environmental problems: product waste. By rethinking how excess inventory is handled, Bath & Body Works created a closed-loop system that benefits both the environment and vulnerable communities.
“This recognition is not just a celebration of our progress on our environmental impact,” said Jeff King, Group Vice President, Head of ESG at Bath & Body Works. “It’s also an example of the good that can happen when we work together to shape a resilient and responsible future.”
King’s words highlight a critical truth: sustainability is never a solo mission. It thrives in partnerships, in cross-departmental collaboration, and in cultures where employees—from warehouse staff to executive leadership—believe in driving change.
From Landfill to Lifeline: The Real Numbers
Here’s what this initiative accomplished in just over a year:
- 1.3+ million Bath & Body Works products (lotions, hand sanitizers, candles, etc.) were donated
- These products reached thousands of individuals affected by poverty, homelessness, and natural disasters
- Nearly 500,000 pounds of usable product were saved from ending up in landfills
- Over 300 local and national nonprofits benefited from the donation stream via Good360’s redistribution network
But numbers tell only part of the story. Behind each product donated is a human story—a mother rebuilding after a flood, a student staying in a transitional shelter, a family struggling after a job loss. A bottle of body wash or a calming room spray may seem small, but in the right hands, it can bring comfort, dignity, and hope.
A Broader ESG Commitment
The Good360 partnership is just one chapter in Bath & Body Works’ growing commitment to sustainability and social impact.
In addition to the E+E Leader award, the company was recently named one of America’s Climate Leaders 2025 by USA Today and Statista—a recognition reserved for companies making aggressive cuts to carbon emissions, reducing water use, and increasing sustainable sourcing.
The company has also taken measurable steps to ensure:
- Sustainable sourcing of raw materials used in its fragrances and product formulas
- Responsible packaging practices, with increased use of recyclable and post-consumer materials
- Reduction in manufacturing emissions through greener production processes
These efforts show that the company’s vision for sustainability is comprehensive and consistent, extending from supply chains to store shelves—and now, into underserved communities across America.
Employee-Driven, Community-Focused
Perhaps what’s most inspiring about this story is that it didn’t start in a corporate boardroom. The donation program was driven by employee insights and front-line engagement, proving once again that some of the best ideas come from those closest to the problem.
By listening to associates in its retail locations and distribution centers—those who saw firsthand the volume of unused inventory—the company found a way to redirect waste into wellbeing.
It’s a model that other retailers can and should follow: one where every product is treated not as waste, but as potential.
Sustainability With Scent and Substance
Bath & Body Works has long been known for evoking memories and moods through fragrance. But in 2025, the brand is doing more than helping people smell good—it’s helping communities feel seen, supported, and safe.
In a time when sustainability can feel abstract or performative, this donation partnership is refreshingly tangible. It's a real-world example of what happens when corporations take ownership of their environmental footprint and reimagine business as a force for good.
The Top Project of the Year Award isn’t just a feather in the cap for Bath & Body Works—it’s a beacon for the retail sector as a whole.
Closing Thought: A New Scent of Sustainability
From the fragrant aisles of a mall store to shelters and disaster zones across America, Bath & Body Works is proving that corporate kindness is not a contradiction—it’s a catalyst.
Their journey with Good360 shows that every excess item is an opportunity, every employee insight is a spark, and every partnership is a path to a more sustainable, equitable world.
Let’s hope more brands take note and follow the scent of sustainability toward meaningful, measurable impact.
Next Thursday, join us as we spotlight another company reshaping the world through sustainable innovation. Until then, may your CSR inspire action—and your business leave a legacy worth celebrating.
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