Monday 7 October 2019

Unilever to shelve half of virgin plastic use by 2025

Unilever has announced plans to halve its use of virgin plastics by 2025.

The consumer goods giant, which owns popular household brands as Dove, Persil and PG Tips, also promised to collect and reuse more plastic than it sells by the same date.

It announced: "There is a lot of plastic pollution in the environment. And the fact of the matter is – too much of it carries our name. That is not OK with us."

The firm said by ensuring waste is reused, recycled or composted, companies can ensure it never reaches the environment - it added if even one of its bottles ends up polluting the planet, that would be "one too many".

It plans to achieve the plastic reduction goal by encouraging the use of reusable and refillable packs, as well as by stepping up the use of recycled plastic in its packaging and even selling entirely packaging-free products.

Unilever has also committed to investing in improving global waste management infrastructure, buying recycled plastics for use in its packaging and participating in extended producer responsibility schemes.

CEO Alan Jope said: "We can only eliminate plastic waste by acting fast and taking radical action at all points in the cycle.

"Our plastic is our responsibility and so we are committed to collecting back more than we sell, as part of our drive towards a circular economy. This is a daunting but exciting task which will help drive global demand for recycled plastic."