The owner of Dove, Persil and Lynx is to make all of its plastic fully reusable or recyclable after pressure from customers, including the chief executive’s wife. Unilever, one of the world’s largest consumer groups with sales of more than £53 billion a year, will make the commitment at the World Economic Forum in Davos next week. Paul Polman, 60, chief executive, said that customers, including his wife Kim, were increasingly “irritated by packaging that couldn’t be recycled”. “Plastic packaging plays a critical role in making our products appealing and safe. Yet it is clear that if we want to continue to reap the benefits of this versatile material, we need to do much more as an industry to help ensure it is managed responsibly
Unilever, which has sales of over £53bn ($more than £53 billion) a year and produces 3% of the world’s plastic packaging, will pledge to make all of its plastic recyclable or reusable by 2025 in an announcement at next week’s World Economic Forum in Davos. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that 40% of plastic packaging goes to landfill, with up to 33% entering the sea and posing a threat to marine and bird life. Just 14% goes to recycling plants. At current rates, the Foundation estimates that the seas will contain more plastic than fish by 2050.