Unilever has announced its plans to introduce bottles made of 100% recycled plastic for Dove beauty products range by the end of 2019.
The new 100% recycled bottles will reportedly launch in the UK and Ireland this year.
Through a combination of alternative packaging materials, recycled plastic and investing in refill technology, Dove is driving a movement to create a new value for plastics and reduce the volume of plastic it produces, Unilever said.
'Significant Strides'
"We must address plastic waste at the source. This means eliminating the plastic items we don’t need, innovating the ones we do need so that all of them are reusable, recyclable, or compostable, and circulating all those we use by reusing them or recycling them into new products and packaging," Sander Defruyt, new plastics economy lead at Ellen MacArthur Foundation, said.
"That is why we welcome Dove's announcements. Their significant strides help reduce Dove's use of virgin plastics, and help to accelerate the global transition to a circular economy for plastics."
Other Products
Dove will also test a new refillable deodorant format that substantially reduces the use of plastic.
The refillable deodorant sticks, minim, is part of the LOOP platform initiative - a first-of-its-kind, minimal waste, direct-to-consumer shopping system.
It is also developing a 'zero-plastic material' to replace the outer-wrap of multipacks of Dove bar.
'Passionately Committed'
Marcela Melero, vice-president of Dove Global Skin Cleansing, explained, "We believe in care that goes further: for our consumers as well as our planet.
"We are passionately committed to being one of the brands making the biggest impact against plastic waste. We know we’re not perfect, but we can’t afford to wait."
The combined impact of these initiatives is expected to reduce the use of virgin plastic by more than 20,500 tonnes per year, Unilever said.
It is the equivalent to the amount of plastic required to circle the Earth 2.7 times.
© 2019 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Click sign-up to subscribe to Checkout.
