Unilever Plans ‘Fundamental Rethink’ of Packaging Policies, Beginning in Design Phase

(Credit: Unilever)

by | Oct 7, 2019

This article is included in these additional categories:

(Credit: Unilever)

CPG giant Unilever plans a “fundamental rethink” of its packaging policies in order to meet its newly announced plastic packaging reduction goals. The company vowed that by 2025, it will:

  • Halve its use of virgin plastic, by reducing its absolute use of plastic packaging by more than 100,000 metric tons and accelerating its use of recycled plastic;
  • Help collect and process more plastic packaging than it sells.

The starting point of reaching its goals will be the design phase, first reducing the amount of plastic that is used. “This demands a fundamental rethink in our approach to our packaging and products,” says Alan Jope, Unilever CEO. “It requires us to introduce new and innovative packaging materials and scale up new business models, like re-use and re-fill formats, at an unprecedented speed and intensity.”

The company will also be “making sure that what we do use increasingly comes from recycled sources,” he adds.

Unilever’s commitment will require the business to help collect and process around 600,000 metric tons of plastic annually by 2025. This will be delivered through investment and partnerships which improve waste management infrastructure in many of the countries in which Unilever operates.

The company’s goal is the first from a global CPG to commit to an absolute plastics reduction across its entire portfolio, Unilever says.

Unilever previously pledged to make all its plastic packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025 and to use at least 25% recycled plastic in packaging by that year.

The company was one of 27 that responded to a call to action from the UN in June to step up their sustainability efforts, committing to reducing emissions further and setting science-based targets aligned with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

Last month, Unilever said that its factories, offices, R&D facilities, data centers, warehouses and distribution centers across five continents are now powered by 100% renewable grid electricity.

Unilever’s customers appear to care about the company’s efforts to be environmentally responsible. The company reported in 2018 that its “sustainable living” brands grew 46% faster than the rest of the business and delivered 70% of its turnover growth. It marked the fourth consecutive year of growth for these brands.

Additional articles you will be interested in.

Stay Informed

Get E+E Leader Articles delivered via Newsletter right to your inbox!

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Share This