Climate
Climate action has long been a part of how we do business. But the world must move faster to avoid the worst effects of climate change. We've set more ambitious climate targets and identified clearer actions to respond to this challenge.
This page provides an overview of the actions we're taking on plastics, with more in-depth news and information elsewhere on our website. Keep scrolling to learn more or navigate the page using the links below.
Reduction: Using less virgin plastic
Circulation: More recyclable, reusable, compostable packaging
Collaboration: A collective effort on plastic
The plastic paradox
Good packaging is vital to get our products safely and efficiently into the hands of consumers.
But too much plastic is ending up in the environment, and our packaging is part of this problem. We’re determined to change this.
That’s why our ambition is an end to plastic pollution through reduction, circulation and collaboration.
The challenge is complex
We’re working to change how our packaging is sourced, designed, used and disposed.
We’re focusing our efforts where we believe we can have the most impact, such as reducing virgin plastic and finding solutions for hard-to-recycle flexible packaging, like plastic sachets.
69%of our portfolio using rigid plastic packaging
For rigids, our focus is on using less plastic packaging and designing for recycling.
31% of our portfolio using flexible plastic packaging and tubes
For flexibles, we’re developing recyclable and compostable alternatives to plastic such as paper-based packaging, while scaling reusable and refillable formats.
We’re building on progress
While we’ve worked for years to reduce plastic waste and create a more circular economy for plastic packaging, there is still much more to do. So we have clear goals to double down on:
- Reducing virgin plastic
- Using more recycled plastic
- Making our plastic packaging reusable, recyclable and compostable
- Collecting and processing plastic packaging
These goals are embedded in our Business Group roadmaps, where we’re working to innovate and build on our progress.
Less plastic by design
We’re designing lighter packaging and switching to alternative packaging materials, formats and models to reduce our use of plastic.
Using more recycled plastic is also helping us reduce virgin plastic and greenhouse gas emissions.
We’ve reduced our use of virgin plastic by 18% since 2019 – and 22% of our global product portfolio now uses recycled plastic.
More recyclable and reusable packaging
We’re designing our packaging for recycling to support a more circular economy for plastic packaging.
Alongside this, we’re pushing hard for improvements to recycling infrastructure around the world.
53% of our plastic packaging can now be recycled, reused or composted.[a]
This is our actual recyclability rate, which is significantly less than the 72% of our plastic packaging portfolio that is technically recyclable with existing technology.
We’re also focusing on the bigger picture
Transforming the way our packaging is designed, used and disposed takes time, bold innovations and systemic change.
That’s why we’re calling for stronger, more harmonised policies that will unlock new infrastructure and behaviours.
We’re leading the call for a UN treaty on plastic pollution that sets legally binding global rules.
Moving towards our near-term goals
Reduce our virgin plastic footprint – by 30% by 2026, and 40% by 2028[b]
18% reduction compared to 2019100% of our plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable – by 2030 (for rigids) and 2035 (for flexibles)[b]
53% of our total packaging is recyclable, reusable or compostable[a]Use 25% recycled plastic in our packaging by 2025
22% in 2023Collect and process more plastic packaging than we sell by 2025
61% in 2023
Find out more about our progress in our Annual Report and Accounts (PDF 14.76 MB)
Our plastic packaging footprint
Our total plastic packaging footprint – including virgin and recycled plastic – is made up of 69% rigid packaging materials, with bottles, such as those used for fabric cleaning liquid, shampoo and body wash, being the biggest contributor. Flexible packaging makes up 29% of our footprint, with sealed flexible packs and pouches, such as laundry detergent bags, contributing the most. The remaining 2% is made up of tubes, for example, those used for toothpaste.
Percentage of total plastic packaging by weight
Charts require JavaScript to be enabled.
Percentages are calculated from our plastic packaging (tonnes) during the reporting period (1 October 2022 – 30 September 2023) and cover 27 countries. This represents around 82% of our turnover.
Reduction: Using less virgin plastic
Reducing our use of virgin plastic is the most powerful way we can stop plastic pollution at source.
We’re working to do this in three main ways:
Replacing and reducing the virgin plastic in our packaging
Developing new packaging formats for our products
Moving to new business models, such as reuse and refill
New and better packaging materials
Brands across our portfolio are reducing the virgin plastic in their packaging by replacing it – either with recycled plastic or different materials completely.
Some are removing plastic altogether – such as Dirt Is Good’s new cardboard containers for laundry detergents that will keep the equivalent of 3,000 tonnes of plastic out of the environment. And Pot Noodle is piloting new recyclable paper-based pots. As our Packaging R&D teams develop new types of packaging like this, we have to make sure its quality stays high during the entire lifecycle – during the cooking process and transportation, for example.
Future of flexibles
In the more challenging area of flexible packaging – such as sachets and pouches – we’re also exploring new technologies to reduce plastic. These include paper-based flexible packaging with ultra-thin coatings made from bio- and mineral-sourced natural materials, enabling it to be both recyclable (compatible with recycling systems) and compostable (naturally biodegradable).
Scaling new paper-based flexible packaging materials will require a step-change in the packaging industry. While we continue to develop and scale these alternatives, we’re moving some of our products to paper-plastic laminates – such as Knorr bouillon cubes in the UK.
More recycled plastic
We’re also working to use more recycled plastic. This is not as straightforward as it might seem: there can’t be any compromise to the look, smell or quality of the recycled plastic. We have a team dedicated to developing and testing recycled plastic materials in our Global Packaging R&D Centre. We’re also using digital tools that can predict the colour and performance of the recycled plastic packaging we use. This eliminates the need to create a physical prototype and is cutting development time by around 25%.
And we’re making progress. Many of our biggest brands, like Hellmann’s, Dove and Sunlight, now come in 100% recycled plastic bottles (where technically possible).
Advocating for infrastructure
The key to our own progress and to more widescale improvements in recycling is collaboration and partnership. We’re now working with over 60 suppliers of recycled plastic (as opposed to just two in 2016) to help them improve their recycling process, efficiency and material quality.
And, through the Circulate Capital Ocean Fund, we’re investing in waste collection infrastructure in places like India, Indonesia and Latin America, aimed at keeping plastic out of the oceans and increasing the supply of high-quality recycled plastic.
In the US, we’ve invested in organisations like Closed Loop Partners and Circular Services to create a more circular economy for plastic packaging through better collection and recycling.
Future formats
We’re introducing new product formats that need less packaging and can also cut transport emissions – like laundry sheets through our Robijn brand in the Netherlands. And OMO are innovating more concentrated detergent formulas that can be diluted at home. This saves around 70% plastic compared to traditional bottles and is more affordable.
One of the challenges here is that encouraging consumers to try new formats and change habits takes time. A level playing field, where companies move in the same direction, would also allow new product formats to effectively compete and scale.
More reusable and refillable packaging
We’re also working to develop and scale alternative packaging solutions. We’ve tested more than 50 reuse and refill models around the world. We’ve learnt that what works in one place might not work in another – consumer preferences and behaviours vary widely. But we're starting to see successes. In Indonesia, we have a growing network of 1,000 refill outlets.
Our challenge is to more widely scale these models – and we’re partnering with others to support innovation in this important area.
We’re partnering with organisations like the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to call for the systems changes needed for reuse and refill models to become more widespread. And we’re working with the World Economic Forum's Consumers Beyond Waste initiative to develop a standardised approach for measuring and reporting on the reuse of plastic packaging.
We’re designing for recycling
Our biggest challenge when it comes to recyclability is finding viable and scalable replacements for things that are hard to recycle, like plastic sachets, bottle pumps and spray triggers. Our rigid and flexible packaging types pose unique challenges, so we’re taking different approaches and have set different goals for each.
When it comes to rigid packaging – things like bottle caps and spray pumps – we’re designing for recycling while also working to increase recyclability in practice and at scale. We’re rolling out technically recyclable toothpaste tubes for Signal and Mentadent, as well as recyclable trigger sprays across Cif, Domestos and Lifebuoy.
Increasing collection and processing
Designing our packaging for recycling is just the first step. There also needs to be systems in place to collect, sort and process it. We’re working with others in our value chain to help close the gap between how much of our packaging is technically recyclable with existing technology and how much of it is actually recyclable with existing infrastructure in the location it is sold.
So we’re calling for better waste management systems around the world. We’re also aiming to collect and process more plastic than we sell – and our businesses in some countries, such as India, Indonesia and Vietnam, have made good progress in this area.
We know that plastic is frequently collected as part of an informal economy. The individuals doing this work are an integral part of the plastics solution – without them we cannot continue to scale plastic collection. So, we’ve been working with peers, experts and NGOs to build a common approach on how we can work together to achieve a socially-just circular economy. Through the Fair Circularity Initiative, we have agreed to advance and adopt the initiative’s 10 Fair Circularity Principles and are now working towards implementing them.
Collaboration: A collective effort on plastic
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from our efforts on plastic over the years, it’s that collaboration is essential – across industries and with governments, innovators and coalitions of change.
Our own goals and wider industry initiatives can only go so far – and we simply cannot reshape the landscape around plastic alone. So we’re working closely with others to accelerate more widescale changes to regulations, systems and infrastructure.
Global rules for plastics
We’re co-chairing the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty pushing for a UN treaty on plastic pollution that sets legally binding, global rules to accelerate change.
And we were one of the first major FMCGs to sign the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and UN’s Global Commitment – a common vision for a circular plastic economy with shared targets, rules and reporting metrics. The 250+ businesses involved represent 20% of the world’s plastic packaging.
Holding businesses to account
We’re calling on governments to put in place mandatory and well-designed extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes to hold businesses to account for their packaging choices.
Our other sustainability priorities
Nature
The world – and our business – needs resilient natural and agricultural ecosystems to thrive. We’re committed to contributing to the protection and regeneration of nature, within and beyond our value chain.
Livelihoods
The impacts on inequality go far beyond income – to health, human rights and economic growth. So we're working to improve the livelihoods of people in our global value chain.