Dove launches its first refillable deodorant packaging solution to drive sustainability

CANADA – Unilever’s Dove Canada has launched its first refillable and reusable deodorant packaging to provide an accessible refill solution for consumers and reduce plastic waste.

According to Dove, the refillable case is a compact “super-durable” stainless steel case housed in 96% recycled and fully recyclable plastic packaging.

This comes as part of Unilever’s continued efforts to reduce its footprint and adopt environmentally sustainable alternatives.

Firdaous El Honsali, global vice president of communications and sustainability at Unilever said: “We’re excited to make sustainable personal care products accessible with the launch of Dove Refillable Deodorant.

“We are looking at every facet of our packaging and are working toward our commitment to make all plastic packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.”

The deodorant contains a “kind to skin” aluminum-free formula and includes glycerin to help soften the skin. It also contains odor-blocking ingredients that claim to deliver 48h-odor protection.

Consumers are expected to buy one pack and continue to refill it until its end of life, cutting down on the disposal of single-use packaging – a practice that will otherwise result in 12 billion tonnes of plastic in landfill or the environment by 2050, the company says.

The packs are currently available at all Canadian brick-and-mortar retailers, as well as through e-commerce sites such as Amazon, Walmart, Shoppers Drug Mart, and London Drugs.

Environmental concern

Last December, Unilever became a founding member of Cosmetics Europe’s “Commit for our Planet” sustainability initiative, casting a keen eye on the social and environmental needs of the personal care industry.

The initiative acts as a network of European companies – from corporate leviathans to start-ups – holding each other accountable for sustainability progress.

Within the consumer giant’s framework of “Less Plastic, Better Plastic, No Plastic,” the company has committed that by 2025, it will halve the amount of virgin plastic in its packaging, including an “absolute reduction” of 100,000 metric tonnes.

Additionally, it will use 25% recycled plastic while ensuring that 100% of Unilever brands’ packaging is designed to be fully reusable, recyclable or compostable.

The FMCG leader was also present in Uruguay last November as part of the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty – a group of over 90 leading businesses and financial institutions committed to supporting the development of an ambitious, effective and legally binding UN treaty.

“The UN treaty on plastic pollution offers a historic chance to create an effective, legally binding, global plan to tackle plastic waste at the scale and speed required,” says Richard Slater, chief R&D officer at Unilever.

The “business vision” laid out the prerequisites for the treaty to focus on reducing the production and use of virgin plastic, improving the circulation of plastic and preventing plastic leakage.

According to Unilever, the treaty could achieve the conditions by setting global targets, rules and obligations, harmonizing regulatory standards and policies and defining common definitions and reporting metrics.

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