Unilever: Innovating for sustainability Unilever

UNILEVER: INNOVATING FOR SUSTAINABILITY

Unilever hardly needs an introduction from us: it is recognised throughout the world as a consumer goods giant with such well-known brands as Lipton, Knorr, Dove and Hellmann’s. Industry Europe looks at some of the highlights from its three key brand sectors, with a focus on its continued dedication to sustainable development and the crucial importance of its supply chain.

Co-headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and London, UK, Unilever is renowned as one of the world’s leading FMCG companies. It is estimated that more than 2 billion consumers worldwide use Unilever products each day. With some 400 brands making up its entire portfolio, the group achieved a turnover for 2014 of €48.4 billion.

Unilever’s range of brands is, it says, ‘as diverse as our worldwide consumer base.’ With its products divided into three key sectors – Home Care, Personal Care and Food & Drink – some of the instantly recognisable names in its brand stable include Hellmanns, Dove, Knorr, Domestos and Lipton.

Obviously, in order to maintain its position at the forefront of the consumer goods industry, continuous product innovation is imperative. To this end, Unilever has several dedicated R&D centres in strategic locations throughout the world (India, the UK, China, North America and the Netherlands). At these sites, it employs more than 6000 scientists, chefs and technicians in its quest for ever-more advanced and sustainable solutions to meet the needs of today’s consumers. Indeed, such is the group’s size and continued dedication to R&D we could not possibly mention all of its latest product innovations in this article. Below are just some of the highlights from its three main business areas.

Home Care products

In the home care segment, Unilever’s products fall into two main categories: laundry and cleaning products. In the first of these are OMO, Surf and Comfort. Also sold as Persil,

Worlée NaturProdukte GmbH

Worlée NaturProdukte GmbH has provided its customers with exotic fruit blends, fine mushroom combinations and the best of the world of dried raw materials for many years.

From spices and fruits to vegetables, along with herbs, mushrooms, tea and pet food, the Hamburg company features an extensive product portfolio. In 1999, Worlée founded an organic division, which over the years has expanded to include as many as 450 products.

The long-standing partnerships that the company established with producers throughout the world guarantee unvarying high quality and maintain the primary organic concept: sustainable agriculture and fair working conditions.

K+S KALI GmbH

K+S KALI GmbH produces high-purity salts for a multitude of applications in the fields of health care and nutrition. In the food segment, the products are used internationally, as dietary salts and in the food-processing industry. They are also used to enrich foodstuffs – so-called “Food Fortification”.

What distinguishes K+S KALI’s high-purity salts?

The products are of natural origin, and are certified in accordance with internationally recognized standards. They are manufactured exclusively in Germany. Quality and safety of the products have maximum priority. This does not only include complete traceability, but also exceptional supply security and service orientation. Compliance with all applicable laws is a matter of course.

KaliSel – best quality for a balanced nutrition

Although sodium chloride is a vital nutrient which is needed for many bodily functions, the World Health Organization (WHO) considers the average daily salt intake in the Western world far too high. In addition the WHO recommends an increase in the supply of potassium through daily ingestion.

KaliSel – which is already widely used by the foodstuffs industry – is an appropriate way of reducing the sodium content of foodstuffs, while at the same time increasing their potassium content.

Skip, Breeze, Ala, Wisk, Surf and Rinso in various parts of the world, OMO products include washing powders, tablets and capsules. The focus for this brand is on the development of products that are affordable for consumers in both high- and low-income regions. Sustainability is also key, perhaps best epitomized in the Persil ‘Small & Mighty’ liquid bottles which require 40 per cent less packaging than a standard bottle of detergent and thus create significant CO2 savings.

The Surf brand has a history reaching all the way back to the 1890s and the creation of the Sunlight soap bar, Unilever’s first product. (Indeed, in the African market Surf is still known as Sunlight today.) The brand was launched in 1959 and today it is well-known throughout Europe, Latin America, Asia, Asia Pacific and Africa with a comprehensive range including bars, powders, liquids and capsules. As with the Persil ‘Small & Mighty’ bottle, the concentrated Surf bottle uses 40 per cent less packaging than a standard bottle of washing liquid, thus reducing packaging waste and allowing more bottles to be loaded onto delivery trucks.

Unilever works on building its brand image across many platforms to reach as wide an audience as possible. An example of this strategy in action is its recent partnership with the Facebook game Bubble Saga. In this, Surf’s brand new mascot ‘Surfy’ stands in for the Bubble Saga princess.

Established in 1961, IMA is world leader in the design and manufacture of automatic machines for the processing and packaging of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food, tea and coffee.

A leadership gained through significant investments in research and development, constant and constructive dialogue with end users in the various sectors, and the Group’s ability to internationalise and conquer new markets.

Experience and reliability, an extensive presence in the global market and a high capacity to respond to the requests of end users: these are values that the Group has built up over 50 years in the business; values that allow it to act as partner, rather than a supplier, able to propose innovative solutions and not just high quality products.

Innovation, honesty, transparency and social and environmental responsibility are IMA’s core values, derived from a cultural identity in which the Group identifies itself. This awareness, which has developed into a genuine entrepreneurial style, has over time become one of the Company’s fundamental resources.

In planning its strategies, the IMA Group takes account of the economic, social and environmental impact of its operations, adhering to the principles of sustainable growth and of corporate social responsibility recognized internationally since 1987 with the Bruntland Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) and in the EU’s Europe 2020 strategy.

Focus on the Tea & Herbs Division of IMA S.p.A.

From the time IMA designed and manufactured the first teabag machine, back in 1966, IMA has produced more than 2700 teabag machines of which almost 2000 are still in production in 77 countries worldwide. IMA places great emphasis on research and development to create cutting edge new generation equipment to increase customer satisfaction levels.

In 2014 IMA launched the new C24-E, the latest generation of tea bag machines for knot technology, a unique machine able to produce NON HEAT SEALABLE double chamber knotted teabags at a production speed of up to 400 bags per minute ensuring the highest efficiency rates. No metal staple or additional packaging materials are required to fix the bag to the tag and the cotton thread. Fixing is achieved by two simple knots resulting in a worthwhile saving in packaging material. The C24-E can be equipped for the production of naked bags, crimped or heatsealed outer envelopes. The C24-E is particularly suitable for the packaging of sophisticated and organic products thanks to the natural and ecological characteristics of the tea bag and to the machines sophisticated product dosing and feeding systems.

To complete the whole production cycle, the C24-E is equipped with an automatic cartoning attachment from flat blanks, available in two different versions, that permits the packaging of filter bags in different fi nal carton styles according to such criteria as product integrity, personalization, style and cost saving. As well the standard tuck-in closure cartons, further options are also available: Tear Strip, Kurzlaschen and Caddy Closure carton.

IMA offers also a simplified, cost-effective solution for the NON HEAT SEALABLE double chamber knotted double chamber teabags – the C24-T – evolved from the original C24 equipment whilst maintaining the same high efficiency level as that achieved by the above mentioned more sophisticatedC24-E model. Highly reliable and speed-oriented, with a production speed of 400 bags per minute,the C24-T deals solely with knotted naked bags and fits perfectly into existing packaging lines where black tea or freeflowing products are being handled.

Optimum efficiency and precision, together with a compact footprint make the C24-T the ideal choice to guarantee excellent productivity while limiting costs to what is strictly essential.

For more info, visit www.ima-industries.com

IMA C24-E

Daniel Kerry, Surf Global Brand Manager, said at the time of launch: “We’re glad to have found Bubble Saga as a partner for the launch of our new brand character Surfy, being a good fit with our consumers… Surf is a global brand in 47 countries with a constantly expanding presence.”

The third major Unilever laundry brand is Comfort – a fabric conditioner that ‘delivers long-lasting freshness and everyday softness to keep your laundry beautifully conditioned’. As with the group’s other brands, social and environmental responsibility also play a key role in R&D. The Comfort One Rinse product, for example, is targeted specifically at developing countries and is designed to wash clothes using just one bucket of water rather than three to save time, effort and water.

Moving on to the cleaning products segment, one of the biggest and most wellknown brands is Cif – a range of creams and sprays to keep kitchens, bathrooms, dishes, floors and surfaces clean. Around the globe it is marketed under other names, including Jif, Viss and Handy Andy but Cif is still its most widely-used handle.

Another well-known brand is Domestos, whose tag line ‘kills all known germs dead’ we are probably all familiar with to some extent. This range of cleaning products is available in 35 countries as Domestos, Domex, Glorix, Vim, Promax and Klinex. One of the latest innovations in this range is the Domestos Turbo Fresh – the first ever rim block that rotates, keeping the toilet clean and fresh for longer.

Leading Personal Care brands

Unilever’s range of recognised global personal care products is even more comprehensive. Just some of the leading names include Dove, Vaseline, Simple, Radox and Timotei – although there are many others besides. Established in 1957 in the US, the Dove brand of body washes, hair products and lotions is particularly well-known for its celebration of ‘real women’. Indeed, its Social Mission is to empower young girls to build a positive selfimage in relation to their bodies.

It is also from the Dove brand that an example of Unilever’s overriding commitment to sustainable packaging can be drawn. The new Dove Body Wash bottles have been created using the MuCell Technology for Extrusion Blow Moulding (EBM) developed by Unilever in close collaboration with two of its packaging suppliers – ALPLA and MuCell Extrusion. It represents a breakthrough in

LINDAL Group

The accelerating launch of compressed deodorants and antiperspirants throughout the world marks the further use of exciting aerosol technology developed and patented by LINDAL Group.

A worldwide leader in aerosol packaging technology, LINDAL Group anticipates comprehensive global acceptance of the new compressed deodorant and antiperspirant format. Watch for new compressed format aerosol solutions in cosmetics and body care, sun protection, hair care and styling, household and technical products.

The Hamburg, Germany-based company has more than 50 years of experience with aerosol solutions for the cosmetics, household, pharmaceuticals, food and technical industries.

The LINDAL Group is represented by subsidiaries and licensees in more than 15 countries throughout Europe, Asia and The Americas. The company is renowned for its innovative designs, which deliver optimal functionality and return on investment. As a result, LINDAL packaging solutions are the choice of the world’s most prestigious and trusted brands.

bottle technology: by using gas-injection to create gas bubbles in the middle layer of the bottle wall, it reduces the density of the bottle and the amount of plastic required. All packaging will remain 100 per cent recyclable and the bottles will contain a minimum of 15 per cent less plastic. This technology has been deployed first in Europe across the Dove Body Wash range.

Vaseline is another brand that really needs no introduction since the products in this range and their benefits to consumers are recognised in 70 countries. In addition to the standard petroleum jelly, lip balms, lotions and cleansers, the latest product under the Vaseline umbrella is its line of Spray & Go moisturisers. These moisturise deeply and absorb in seconds, allowing the user to get dressed and leave the house immediately after applying. In this way it is different from traditional spray products, since it dispenses lotion quickly and evenly, and enables allover body coverage.

Radox, meanwhile, is a leading bath and shower collection known for its relaxation properties. Established over a century ago, its products mix minerals and herbs to create a wide range of soothing blends. Yet another famous Personal Care brand, Simple, is a range of skincare products (soaps, cleaners, toners and moisturisers) that contains to perfume, colour or harsh chemicals and is therefore ideal for sensitive skin types.

Food & Drink

This, Unilever’s third core product sector, also encompasses a number of world-leading products. In fact, it is highly likely that most of us already have some of these brands in our cupboards at home – Lipton, Ben&Jerrys, Knorr, Flora and Hellmanns’s are just some that immediately spring to mind.

Lipton offers a range of tea-based drinks from leaf tea to tea bags, Lipton Ice Tea soft drinks, zero calorie infusions and green teas. Some of its key innovations over the years include the Lipton Pyramid tea bag which allows tea leaves more room to infuse; and its Lipton Cold Brew tea bags which make instant ice tea much easier. A more recent introduction to Lipton’s range was its singleserve tea packs for use in Keurig and Vue coffee machines to brew fresh cups of hot or iced tea at the push of a button.

Unilever also owns the well-known Hellmann’s brand of dressings. products run from its famous mayonnaise to ketchup, mustard, salad dressings and table sauces. As the world’s number one mayonnaise brand, Hellmann’s believes it needs to set a responsible example – hence the fact that 100 per cent of the eggs used in its products are sourced from free-range or barn hens.

Yet another highlight from the Unilever Food & Drink brand stable is the Knorr range of soups, bouillon cubes, stock pots, seasonings and snacks. This Germany-based company has a prestigious history reaching back to 1838. Today it is still known as one of the leading producers in its field and is continuously developing new techniques and recipes to guarantee quality, flavour and freshness. In addition to this, it is, in common with all Unilever brands, committed to a sustainable future through the responsible sourcing of agricultural ingredients and the building of sustainable practices. For example, as part of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, Knorr has committed to sourcing 100 per cent of its agricultural ingredients sustainably by 2020.

Recognising the importance of suppliers

Of course, Unilever would not be able to maintain its global operations across 190 countries without the help of its network of around 16,000 suppliers. The company states this explicitly on its website: “Our suppliers’ materials and services are an integral part of our commercial operations, ensuring our sites and factories in more than 100 countries are capable of manufacturing, marketing and continually improving the thousands of unique items we produce today.”

For a major global player such as Unilever, a significant part of its growth is always going to come from cutting-edge innovation. And

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We at H&R pride ourselves in supplying consistently superior quality products to our customers. Our technical team comprises of product experts to ensure that H&R can offer unparalleled technical support and expertise.

Our Quality Management Systems combined with our ISO 9001 accreditation aligns us to supply grades that meet stringent customer requirements, while looking after our environment to ensure sustainable supply of high quality and environmentally friendly products to the markets we service.

Our PIONIER range of petroleum jelly is one of the most important raw materials for the pharmaceutical, personal care and cosmetic applications. For these industries H&R offers both white and yellow product variations. The PIONIER range also contains mineral oil-free jellies and petroleum jelly produced from natural raw materials.

H&R’s range of petroleum jellies, mineral oils and paraffin waxes are complex mixtures of saturated, mainly straight-chain, hydrocarbons. The high quality of our products is achieved through special hydrogenation processes and thus most suitable for pharmaceutical, personal care and cosmetic purposes.

PIONIER range of products leading technology, leading quality

Petroleum jellies White oils Waxes Hydrogenated polydecene Bases for cold processes Highly transparent oleogels Natural jellies

Our strengths

Customer specific service and support Cleanroom standards Innovative products ISO approved quality management systems Products meet relevant FDA / pharmacopoeia standards

Our values

Customer orientated quality and reliability Innovation Responsibility

it estimates that around 70 per cent of its innovations are linked the its close partnerships with strategic suppliers. “That’s why we invest in mutually-beneficial relationships with our key suppliers – so we can share capabilities and co-innovate for shared growth.”

In recognition of the above, in February 2011 Unilever launched ‘Partner to Win’ – an award-winning strategic programme focused on building relationships with selected key suppliers in order to foster mutual growth. Joint Business Development Plans (JBDPs) are a key element of the programme, covering all areas of procurement including packaging, chemicals, commodities and services.

Each year, Unilever also holds its prestigious Partner to Win Awards to celebrate those suppliers who, over the past year, have made a significant contribution to growing both businesses in a mutually beneficial way. The awards are in the categories of Innovation, Sustainability, Joint Value Creation, Capacity and Capability Building, and World Class Service & Quality.

The big winners in the Innovation category were: Novozymes, who worked closely with Unilever to deliver enhanced

National Label Company

National Label Company is your packaging printing partner with global reach. Family owned and operated, our longstanding manufacturing of quality products dates back to 1914.

The combination printing machines are extremely flexible and configure flexographic, offset, silkscreen, gravure, and foiling in a custom sequence. The presses have platform technology with lightweight sleeves allowing quick changeover, reduced tooling and plate costs. Presses and slitters have vision system scanning ensuring the finest quality.

We are currently distributing to large manufacturers in personal care, pharmaceutical, and consumer battery industries. National Label is proud to be one of Unilever’s Partner to Win suppliers.

Envases

Once more Envases is very pleased to participate in this celebration of Unilever, who Envases has been supplying for over 35 years.

During this long period of time Envases has been given numerous opportunities to collaborate in many different challenging packaging projects.

Envases is very appreciative for this opportunity.

Envases is a family owned company, fully dedicated to aluminium aerosol manufacturing out of two state of the art plants in Europe.

Envases concentrates on offering it’s customer base “Unique Proposals”.

Alkim is the largest producer of sodium sulphate in Turkey, Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe.

The Company owns mining concessions with more than 300 million tons of proven reserves and cost efficient plants manufacturing sodium sulphate, a key ingredient in various products.

Sodium chloride (from natural raw salt until highest quality table salt), organically certifi ed leonite fertilizer, magnesium chloride are also produced in our modern plants. Chromite mineral ore is mined at our Eskisehir mine.

And another essential product of Alkim is paper. The Company owns majority shares of the largest printing and offset papermill company in Turkey & Middle East, North Africa area.

Alkim Alkali Kimya Anonim Șirketi İnönü Caddesi No:13 34437 Taksim - İSTANBUL Phone: +90 212 292 22 66 • Fax: +90 212 252 76 60 www.alkim.com

liquid laundry solutions; Givaudan, for developing a new encapsulation technology for fragrances; and Galaxy for delivering a breakthrough manufacturing innovation.

In the Sustainability category, the three winners were Symrise, DHL and ALPLA / MuCell. The first of these, Symrise, won for its innovative and leading edge Public Private Partnership which will benefit 24,000 people in total. DHL was rewarded for its global support of the continual environmental improvement of its supply chain services conducted on behalf of Unilever, whilst ALPLA / McCell received a joint award for developing breakthrough packaging technology that uses 15 per cent less plastic (mentioned above in connection with the new Dove Body Wash bottle).

The Joint Value Creation category also had three winners. Clariant was awarded for its collaboration with Unilever, resulting in standardisation of its global packaging platform. Wilmar, meanwhile, was recognised for the fact that is has been working in collaboration with Unilever to produce natural fatty alcohols and other oleo-based sufactants to help improve the value proposition for several key High Performance Chemicals. Finally, the award given to National Label acknowledged its significant investment and effort to expand its operations to supply Unilever.

In the category of Winning Capacity & Capability Building, Solvay received an award for its purchasing of natural soda ash, which supports Unilever’s aim to reduce its overall CO2 emissions. Ball won for investing in global facilities to support Unilever’s growing needs, whilst Manuchar was awarded for working closely with Unilever to invest in creating capacity in several developing and emerging markets to cater to the growth of the group’s Household Care business.

The three winners in the category Winning World Class Service Through Operational Excellence were Sodexo, Smollan and Southern Graphic Systems International. Sodexo won for taking a leading role in the facility management industry – with Unilever, it has created a strategic partnership making a transformational change in the delivery of services. Smollan won for launching dedicated field sales teams across the world, whilst Southern Graphic Systems International was awarded for delivering continuously improving service levels while solving technical challenges.

A final, single award – the coveted Partner to Win Visionary Award – was given to Cargill for being the first company to sign up to Unilever’s Partner to Win programme. Unilever paid tribute to the manner in which Cargill has delivered substantial results on every on of the programme’s key priorities: driving innovation, responsible and sustainable living, quality and service, value and capacity and capability.

To conclude, Dhaval Buch, chief procurement officer for Unilever, had this to say about the importance of the awards: “I congratulate all of the companies that won. It is our mission to maintain these fantastic relationships with our Supplier Partners and create mutually beneficial business opportunities. Partner to Win plays a vital role in helping us achieve Unilever’s vision for sustainable growth and this can only be delivered through partnerships.” n