In line with the launch of its refreshed laundry detergent formulation, Unilever’s Persil brand has transitioned to recyclable bottles made from 50% post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic.
According to the company, these changes, combined with the removal of the “dosing ball” that was previously provided with every bottle, will reduce the amount of virgin plastic in Persil bottles by more than 1,000 tonnes annually.
The new liquid formulation is made with plant-based stain removers and biodegradable ingredients, which reportedly come from renewable or recycled sources. With the formula concentrated by 23%, the bottles are smaller – apparently allowing for approximately 19% fewer trucks on the road each year.
Persil’s re-launch is the first innovation in the UK to be part of Unilever’s “Clean Future” commitment, an innovation programme and €1 billion investment designed by the company’s home care division to change the way that its cleaning and laundry products are created, manufactured and packaged.
Clean Future seeks to embed circular economy principles into both packaging and product formulations at the scale of global brands to reduce their carbon footprint.
Meanwhile, Unilever has also made commitments to halve the use of virgin plastic in packaging and to collect and process more plastic packaging than it sells by 2025.
Charlie Beevor, vice president of home care at Unilever UK and Ireland, says: “Clean Future is our vision to transform the sustainability of our global cleaning and laundry brands. Our new Persil Liquid is just the start of providing products that are both effective and kind to the planet.”
We’ve seen unprecedented demand for our home care products in recent months, and we need to maintain momentum on how we continue to adapt and evolve our products to ensure we are continuing to lead the way in terms of sustainability. As an industry, we must break our dependence on fossil fuels and we’re proud to be leading the charge.”
