RCD MAGAZINE PARTNER
UNILEVER:
“OUR ECOLOGICAL. FOOTPRINT HAS TO BE ALL BUT NON-EXISTENT” Sustainability impacts our daily lives more than we may realize. From shampoo bottles to food packaging, a great deal of thought goes into figuring out how to produce every item we use as sustainably as possible. That is Unilever’s mission. Joris van der Heijden, strategy manager for the Benelux, and Thor Tummers, External Affairs, share what their company is doing to make the difference. 34
CLOSING THE PRODUCTION CHAIN
and specifically with the material chosen. “We only use
“The important thing is closing value chains”, Thor says.
one type of recyclable plastic in the bottle, not several,
As the person in charge of relations with authorities, civil
so the packaging is easier to process down the line. Then,
society organizations and other external bodies, he sees
through our brands we need to support consumers to dis-
how vital it is to continue working towards a circular econ-
pose of packaging materials properly. After collection,
omy every day. “There’s an incredible range of different
packaging material goes to the sorting- and recycling cen-
challenges to deal with. We try to use the most sustain-
tre and is transformed into a material that we can reuse.”
able raw materials, to recycle all waste products, prevent
Thanks to advancing technologies, this process is improv-
litter... Basically, our objective is to bring our ecological
ing all the time, but extensive collaboration with other
footprint to net zero by minimizing the
actors on all fronts remains essential. “We
environmental impact of our products and
are not recyclers or collectors, nor are we in
operations, while having a positive climate
the plastics processing business. These are
impact by reaching ambitions as collecting
things we handle collectively with other or-
more plastic than we sell and investing
ganizations so we don’t have to do them all
over 1 billion euro in climate and nature.”
individually, and that cooperation in itself
TEXT Romy Lange
COLLABORATION REMAINS ESSENTIAL
is making us more sustainable.”
Given this mission, how does Unilever en-
THERE ARE STILL STRIDES TO BE MADE
sure that something like that familiar pur-
Nevertheless, this system can still be en-
ple shampoo bottle is properly recycled
hanced in all kinds of ways, the two say,
instead of ending up in an incinerator? It all
and they are working hard to optimize
starts with product design, Joris explains,
it, according to Thor. “Sure, compared to
Andrélon bottle, now made from 100% recycled coloured plastic
