Unilever will increase use of recycled by up to 25% by 2025

Reducing the weight of its packaging by one third between 2010 and 2020, as well as increasing by at least 25% the incorporation of recycled plastics by 2025 compared to 2015, are some goals of Unilever's Global Sustainability Plan. Among other broader objectives, the plan plans to cut the environmental impacts of the company's products in half by the year 2030.
Now, this strategy moves forward with the inclusion of a third of recycled resin in the packaging of the Silk brand hair product line, starting with black packaging, in which possible visual changes resulting from this initiative are less noticeable. "By the end of the year, all Silk products will have recycled resins in the packaging," says Juliana Carvalho, Director of Personal Care Marketing at Unilever Brazil. "Later this year we will include recycled resins in the packaging of other lines, such as Clear," he adds.
At the same time, Unilever is relaunching the TRESemmé line (also for hair) with packaging 20% lighter than those used before. "Last May, we launched three dove products with 100% packages made of green polyethylene," adds Juliana.
Recycled resin is also being included in the packaging of some products of the OMO line, starting with OMO Liquid Multition. "In one year, this should mean about 500 tons of virgin resin consumed less," says Giovanna Gomes, marketing director of Home Care at Unilever Brazil.
Fernando Fernandez, president of Unilever's Brazilian operation, points out that the use of recycled plastic has as its main motivation the search for a more sustainable performance, but has also provided a "small reduction" in the costs of the company's packaging. "We were able to develop with recycled plastic packaging identical to the previous ones, even without any odor," he adds.
With sales in more than 190 countries – where it reaches around 2.5 billion consumers daily – Unilever worldwide has 161,000 employees, and last year earned €53.7 billion. Its portfolio houses about four hundred brands: Axe, CIF, Close-Up, Comfort, Dove, Fofo, Hellmann's, Kibon, Knorr, Lifebuoy, Lux, Maizena, OMO, Rexona, Silk, TRESemmé, are some of them.
In Brazil, the company reports having products in every home in the country, where every month they reach 46 million households. "Here, our factories, distribution centers and offices no longer allocate any solid waste to landfills," said Antonio Calcagnoto, vice president of corporate affairs and sustainability at Unilever Brazil. "By 2025, all our packages worldwide should be reusable, recyclable or compostable," calcagnoto concludes.