Unilever North America ramps up its plastic reduction efforts

15 Apr 2019 --- Unilever North America is implementing a three-part plan to accelerate and expand the company’s plastic waste reduction commitments in the region. The scheme aims to provide better choices for plastic packaging, adds clear recycling instructions on pack and launches a shopper education program in partnership with Walmart. The moves come as Unilever’s alternative regional arms have made significant strides in their sustainability efforts. This includes, for example, being among the cohort of international consumer goods companies launching the Africa Plastics Recycling Alliance.

“We know that the response from the consumer goods industry is critical in determining the speed that positive change takes place around plastic packaging, and using less, better, or no plastics is a priority at Unilever,” says Unilever North America President Amanda Sourry. 

“Today, we are significantly accelerating our plastic packaging commitments in the US and are pleased to be working alongside other industry leaders like Walmart to push these initiatives forward,” she adds.

Globally, Unilever has made ambitious, industry-leading plastic packaging goals and these will be accelerated in North America with three significant packaging initiatives.

First, by the end of 2019, 50 percent of the plastic used in Unilever North America packaging will come from post-consumer recycled (PCR) content. This move reduces virgin plastic in packaging and greenhouse gas emissions and creates an end-market for recycled packaging in North America.

Second, the global company will also be adding How2Recycle labels on all packaging by 2021 in light of widespread confusion around complex recycling systems. The clear recycling instructions will be added to the packaging of the entire mass-market portfolio by the end of 2021. Unilever has been working with How2Recycle to add clear recycling labels and will now standardize its use on all packaging in North America.

Third, Unilever and Walmart are working in partnership to create in-store and online consumer education moments around recycling, coined the “Bring it to the Bin” shopper education program. The program will incentivize and educate customers about recycling all packaging, including products used in the bathroom, when it launches later this year.

“These Unilever initiatives are important steps, but we can’t create a circular economy for plastic packaging in isolation,” adds Sourry. “We need collective action to tackle the problem at the source by working with forward-thinking companies like Walmart, advocating for systemic change in government and recycling facilities, working closely with plastics suppliers, and educating consumers. Only together will we answer the urgent call made by the plastics issue we are facing.”

Unilever has been seeking to reduce its packaging footprint over the past years as part of the global Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, and has committed to making all Unilever packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025, the company notes. 

Globally, the company will reach an average of 25 percent recycled content in packaging by 2025.

Significant progress is being made toward Unilever’s goals at a global level, with achievements including:

• Light-weighting packaging with an 18 percent decrease in weight since 2010, which ultimately means less plastic used to package products;
• Reduction in total waste footprint per consumer by 31 percent since 2010;
• Keeping packaging volumes flat since 2010 despite portfolio growth, demonstrating efforts to decouple growth from environmental impact.