UK – Unilever is ramping up investments at its Global Packaging R&D Centre to accelerate the development of sustainable packaging materials and technologies.
According to the company, investment in materials science and technology has more than doubled in recent years, as Unilever strives to reduce its reliance on virgin plastic.
“Our ambition is to end plastic pollution through reduction, circulation, and collaboration,” said Pablo Costa, Unilever’s Global Head of Packaging.
“We’re taking materials science into our own hands, optimizing what we can do in-house while working with partners and peers to bring solutions to market.”
A key focus is increasing the use of post-consumer recycled (PCR) content in packaging, a process Unilever describes as a “complex technical challenge.”
To tackle this, the company’s R&D team has characterized 160 grades of recycled plastics this year alone, creating a digital tool that predicts packaging color. This innovation eliminates the need for physical prototypes, reducing development time by 25%.
Unilever is also leveraging its Advanced Manufacturing Centre, a pilot-scale plant, to test materials and designs virtually before full-scale production. This approach enhances efficiency while ensuring that new packaging solutions are market ready.
As part of its broader sustainability goals, Unilever aims to make 100% of its flexible plastic packaging reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2035.
To achieve this, the company is exploring various strategies, such as scaling alternative product formats and business models that eliminate non-essential packaging.
A key initiative is Unilever’s Future Flexibles program, which focuses on developing recyclable and compostable materials for pouches and sachets.
While paper is currently the only widely recyclable and compostable material, it has limitations, including low barrier properties and challenges with sealing.
To address this, Unilever is working on innovative materials that eliminate the need for plastic film layers while maintaining product protection.
Unilever has already assessed over 3,000 technologies from industries such as pharmaceuticals and electronics to identify solutions that can be applied to packaging.
Despite the complexities, Costa remains optimistic, stating that switching to recyclable and compostable paper flexibles will require industry-wide transformation but will ultimately help reduce plastic waste.
In addition to developing new packaging formats, Unilever is pushing for systemic change. The company calls for ambitious, coordinated policy measures to scale sustainable packaging solutions and ensure all businesses adhere to the same environmental standards.
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