Today at the Sustainable Brands Conference Virginie Helias, Chief Sustainability Officer at P&G, announced that Ariel, Lenor and other P&G Fabric Care brands across Europe aim to reduce plastics use in their packaging by 30% by 2025. This is a key milestone in reaching the Ariel 2030 Brand Ambition of reinventing a better clean, saving 50% resources by 2030, including virgin plastics.
These planned plastics reductions from Ariel, Lenor and other P&G Fabric Care brands add up to more than 15,000 tons per year by 2025 vs 2018. Although P&G Fabric Care plastics packaging only makes up a relatively small percentage of the total European plastics waste, the amount of plastics saved every year will be significant - enough to make one line of detergent bottles which circles around the earth.
Marcus Gover, Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) CEO, said: “We’re delighted to see P&G make further commitments to tackling plastic packaging waste. Through “The UK Plastics Pact”, of which P&G is a founding member, we are working together with business, governments and citizens to transform the way we make, use and dispose of plastic – keeping it in the economy and out of the environment.”
Virginie Helias, Chief Sustainability Officer at P&G, comments: “Our Ariel and Lenor brands are pioneering packaging reduction practices that will be critical to P&G achieving our commitment to reduce virgin plastics in packaging by 50% by 2030. This is one of many examples of P&G’s leadership brands innovating to inspire and enable responsible consumption”.
By 2022, P&G Fabric Care Europe aims to make all its brands’ packaging 100% recyclable. Ariel and Lenor are working to increase the demand for recycling by further increasing the use of post-consumer recycled material (PCR) in their packaging, which today already contains up to 50% PCR. To take further steps towards circularity, the industry should collaborate and promote easy and effective recycling. To help with this, P&G’s scientists are working with the industry on innovative solutions such as PetCore Europe perforated sleeves for better recyclability. These efforts have been recognized, for example P&G’s Principal Scientist, Gian De Belder, has been awarded the EU Plastics Recycling Ambassador of the Year Award, recognizing individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the industry. Ariel also participates in cutting-edge pilot schemes, such as LOOP, which aims to drive circularity with principles such as the ‘milkman refill model’.
Volker Kuhn, Vice President Fabric Care at P&G, comments: “We are always challenging ourselves to grow our business sustainably. Removing 30% of plastics across Europe Fabric Care products is a bold move we want to deliver by 2025 at the latest. We are delighted that more and more consumers choose our Ariel PODS which is the most compacted detergent we are offering. PODS require less plastic packaging per wash while supplying the exact amount of detergent needed, thereby avoiding wastage and over-dosing. Addressing the plastics issue is everyone’s responsibility, and we’re determined to drive a step towards circularity, so that no plastic from our brands’ packaging finds its way into the oceans or landfill.”
