“Less Plastic, Better Plastic, No Plastic”: Unilever introduces refillable packaging for Dove deodorant

21 Feb 2023 --- Unilever’s Dove Canada is launching a refillable case made from stainless steel for its range of deodorants. Dove Refillable Deodorant is created to be “refilled for life.”

The refillable case is described as a compact “super-durable” stainless steel case housed in a 96% recycled and fully recyclable plastic packaging. This comes as part of Unilever’s continued efforts to reduce its footprint and adopt environmentally sustainable alternatives. 

“We’re excited to make sustainable personal care products accessible with the launch of Dove Refillable Deodorant,” says Firdaous El Honsali, global vice president of communications and sustainability at Unilever.

“We are looking at every facet of our packaging and are working toward our commitment to make all plastic packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.”

The deodorant contains a “kind to skin” aluminum-free formula and includes glycerin to help soften the skin. It also contains odor-blocking ingredients that claim to deliver 48h-odor protection.

Monitoring environmental sustainability
Last December, Unilever became a founding member of Cosmetics Europe’s “Commit for our Planet” sustainability initiative, casting a keen eye on the social and environmental needs of the personal care industry. The initiative acts as a network of European companies – from corporate leviathans to start-ups – holding each other accountable for sustainability progress.

Within the consumer giant’s framework of “Less Plastic, Better Plastic, No Plastic,” the company has committed that by 2025, it will halve the amount of virgin plastic in its packaging, including an “absolute reduction” of 100,000 metric tons.Dove Refillable Deodorant is encased in stainless steel packaging.

Additionally, it will use 25% recycled plastic while ensuring that 100% of Unilever brands’ packaging is designed to be fully reusable, recyclable or compostable.

The FMCG leader was also present in Uruguay last November as part of the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty – a group of over 90 leading businesses and financial institutions committed to supporting the development of an ambitious, effective and legally binding UN treaty.

“The UN treaty on plastic pollution offers a historic chance to create an effective, legally binding, global plan to tackle plastic waste at the scale and speed required,” says Richard Slater, chief R&D officer at Unilever.

The “business vision” laid out the prerequisites for the treaty to focus on reducing the production and use of virgin plastic, improving the circulation of plastic and preventing plastic leakage. 

According to Unilever, the treaty could achieve the conditions by setting global targets, rules and obligations, harmonizing regulatory standards and policies and defining common definitions and reporting metrics.

“Kinder” deodorant
Unilever recently announced the deodorants category performed strongly in its Personal Care Business Group. Within its Beauty & Wellbeing Business Group, the Hair Care category saw mid-single-digit growth, largely driven by Latin America, India and Turkey.Dove logo is laser-engraved on the case to avoid using extra material.

PETA-certified, the Dove Refillable range is accomplishing a new milestone in Unilever’s journey toward fighting plastic waste.

“Dove is turning what was once a ‘throwaway’ item into a meaningful commitment to sustainability with the launch of Dove Refillable Deodorant,” the company shares.

Additionally, Dove has introduced a 100% recycled plastic bottle, where technically feasible, in North America and Europe.

Unilever recently also initiated a two-year program dubbed Flue2Chem aimed at converting industrial waste gasses into environmentally sustainable materials for use in consumer products.

“This is a game-changing opportunity to accelerate action and rewire the chemicals value chain to be less reliant on fossil fuels,” said Flue2Chem’s project lead Ian Howell, Unilever’s Home Care Science & Technology R&D director and chair of SCI’s sustainable materials consumer product group.

“It’s a bold ambition and one that, at Unilever, we have been publicly calling for action over the last two years. No single company can do this alone.”

By Radhika Sikaria