Dive Brief:
- Unilever announced last week that it expects to reach 50% recycled content in its packaging by the end of this year. The company did not specify the current amount of recycled content in its packaging.
- According to Unilever North America President Amanda Sourry, the company is "significantly accelerating our plastic packaging commitments in North America and [is] thrilled to be working alongside other industry leaders like Walmart to push these initiatives forward." The announcement was made at the Walmart Global Sustainability Milestone Meeting.
- The company is also adding a How2Recycle label intended to provide clear consumer instructions on how packaging should be discarded. It expects all of its packaging to have these labels by 2021.
Dive Insight:
Unilever originally announced its commitment to plastic packaging in 2017, when it said it planned to "increase its use of recycled plastic content in its packaging to at least 25% by 2025 against a 2015 baseline." Without knowledge of Unilever's 2015 baseline, it's hard to know if this latest announcement represents an increase in packaging volume or just a change in timeline.
Unilever also plans to work with Walmart to educate shoppers on proper recycling in its "Bring it to the Bin" program.
We are accelerating our action on plastic packaging with a 3-part plan announced today, including achieving 50% recycled content in packaging by the end of the year. Read more: https://t.co/NvesY2ldox pic.twitter.com/yKUhdunuzx
— UnileverUSA (@unileverusa) April 10, 2019
"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," Sourry said. "Only together will we answer the urgent call made by the plastics issue we are facing."
These announcements come at a time when many retailers are making similar commitments to sell more sustainably packaged items: Walmart plans to reach 20% post-consumer recycled content in private brand packaging by 2025, while Trader Joe's has announced multiple sustainable packaging initiatives after facing pressure from consumers.