Cleaning products firm Seventh Generation set a range of new sustainability goals this week with the release of its latest Corporate Consciousness report.

In addition to an existing long-term plan to reduce its carbon footprint, the company also created a new mid-term goal to reduce the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of its products by 15 percent by 2015. The company has already performed life cycle assessments (LCA) on most of its top product categories, such as laundry, dish and baby products, but the company will now examine its remaining products over the next 18 months.

"We'll do a high-level analysis of all products that will help us identify the hot spots, in terms of energy inputs and greenhouse gas emissions," said Chris Miller, the company's corporate consciousness manager. "That will allow us to focus in on areas we need to focus in on."

Seventh Generation also made a commitment that 100 percent of its products would come from renewable plant and mineral sources by 2015, in addition to being backyard compostable or biodegradable. The company plans to identify and scrap all persistent or chronically toxic chemicals from its products by 2012.

Another new goal involves phasing out virgin plastic use by 2014, a move that will prove tricky for some of its baby products, Miller said. "A chunk of the virgin plastic use is in those diapers. We're going to have to double-down and focus on how we get virgin plastic out of our diapers."

Seventh Generation plans to ensure that all virgin wood pulp used is certified to Forest Stewardship Council standards by 2015. Additionally, the company will shrink solid waste from products and packaging by 25 percent by 2015, and make value chain water use sustainable by 2020. Seventh Generation will use 100 percent renewable energy at its headquarters.