Innovating in soap bars
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In a ground-breaking innovation – developed and patented by and for our business in India – we have launched a new technology to produce a reformulated soap bar with superior efficacy and a reduced carbon footprint.
Our patent-pending innovation ‘Stratos Technology’ is a scientifically proven method to enhance the efficacy of our soap bars, while allowing us to deliver more sustainable palm oil through a more manageable footprint.
Currently, a significant portion of the (Total Fatty Matter) TFM in our formulations is wasted. Reducing the amount of TFM wastage through our patented stratos technology through addition of benefit agents like plant polysaccharides, natural fatty acids and vitamins delivers three important benefits:
- Reduced related impact of TFM waste on the environment
- Reduced GHG (Greenhouse gas) footprint of our formulations by 20%
- Superior products for consumers on the back of stratos technology
Our ongoing commitment to sustainable and deforestation-free palm oil
This innovation is part of Unilever’s global commitment to deliver and maintain a deforestation-free supply chain, and to transition to sourcing sustainable NDPE (No deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation) palm oil in our products.
As one of the world’s largest buyers of RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) certified palm oil, we continue to be fully committed to, and invested in, the palm oil industry.
Martin Huxtable, Sustainable Sourcing Director, explains: "Unilever’s global sourcing volumes of palm oil will remain largely unchanged. By introducing innovative ways to be more sustainable, we can further improve the positive environmental and social impact we can drive and reduce our carbon footprint."
In this context, Indonesia remains our most important country of origin for palm oil. We have invested over $350m in building our infrastructure for palm oil sourcing and production since 2015, to help us source more directly with a simplified and traceable supply chain. The Unilever Oleochemical plant in Sei Mangkei, for example, exports sustainable palm derived materials to 40 markets, including to India.
Importantly, Unilever’s sustainability plans for palm oil are not only focused on the environment, but also the equally important socio-economic factors and in particular the needs of smallholders.
Our People and Nature policy outlines our requirements regarding human rights and the inclusion of smallholder farmers. Empowering and supporting farmers and independent smallholders in the communities and areas we source from is a key pillar of our action through our direct sourcing programmes and smallholder development hubs.
“Our work in Indonesia with independent mills and smallholders allows us to help the industry achieve higher levels of sustainability, traceability, and transparency – and we gain more visibility within our supply chain,” adds Huxtable.