The FMCG giant aims to accelerate its plastic reduction goals through a “significant investment” into developing new, sustainable materials.
Pablo Costa, global head of packaging, said the firm’s progress was industry-leading, but “we cannot be complacent”.
“That’s why we’re now taking materials science into our own hands.
“Our aim is to optimise what we can do in-house, while working end-to-end with our partners and peers to bring these solutions to market.”
As part of the complex challenge behind using more post-consumer recycled content in Unilever’s packaging, the Packaging R&D team has created a digital tool that includes the characteristics of 160 different grades of recycled plastics.
The tool predicts the resulting colour, doing away with the need to create prototypes.
“This is saving a huge amount of time and resource, cutting development time by around 25%,” Unilever stated.
The business is also developing alternative materials to problematic flexible plastics.
“Through our ‘Future Flexibles’ programme, we’re developing materials – for things like pouches and sachets – that are both recyclable and compostable.
“This means designing materials that are compatible with recycling systems and naturally biodegradable.”
The Packaging R&D team has assessed more than 3,000 materials and technologies, including techniques from other industries that are not currently used in packaging.
“As we continue to scout new innovations, we’re now working with partners to adapt and test the most promising on our broad portfolio,” Costa said.
He said that packaging liquid products such as laundry detergent and shampoo in paper was “one of the most technically complex challenges” being tackled by the R&D team.
“They have higher barrier requirements compared to dry products. The solution lies in removing the plastic film layer by developing material alternatives that can still seal the packaging and provide barrier protection, without impacting its recyclability and natural biodegradability.”
He also acknowledged that switching to recyclable and compostable paper flexibles would require major industry transformation.
“There are no quick fixes. But we’re already starting work to prepare our supply chain – and our consumers – for the transition.”
Unilever also called for system change, and said that voluntary action by individual businesses was not sufficient to tackle plastic pollution.
It has set out a raft of goals regarding its use of plastics, including that 100% of plastic packaging should be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2030.
“We need ambitious, coordinated policy measures across the full plastic life-cycle that help scale solutions and ensure all businesses play by the same rules,” the firm stated.
Unilever had global sales of €59.6bn (£49.9bn) last year.
Its brands include Persil, Domestos, Dove, Magnum, Hellman’s and Knorr, with an estimated 3.4 billion people using Unilever products every day.
The UK is home to three of Unilever’s global R&D hubs: Port Sunlight in the Wirral, Colworth in Bedfordshire, and in Leeds.
