Cheap, flexible and multipurpose plastic has become the ubiquitous material of today’s fast-moving economy. Modern society would be lost without it.

But our ‘take-make-dispose’ approach to consumption means that most packaging rarely gets used a second time. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, around 95% of the value of plastic packaging is lost to the economy after one short use.

It’s unsustainable.

As a business, we’re acutely aware of the causes and consequences of this model. And we are working hard to change it.

One way we’re doing that is by exploring different options around refill and reuse.

The benefits

Reducing the need for plastic is clearly good for the environment. The urgency to act on plastic pollution is now widely understood and many large organisations – including Unilever – are committed to creating a circular economy for plastic. Recycling is important, but it’s just one component. Refillable and reusable could well be the gamechanger we need.

At the same time, consumers are increasingly demanding more eco-friendly packaging and a reduction in plastic. Preferences are also shifting to more sophisticated packaging, including higher quality and even personalised. Innovative reuse models can tap into these shifting trends by, for example, delivering better-looking, more functional packaging that allows customisation.

This, in turn, presents a business opportunity. Through more convenient models and more attractive packaging, we can deliver a superior user experience and build brand loyalty. It can also help save costs, particularly in terms of transportation.

According to a new report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (PDF | 9MB), replacing just 20% of single-use plastic packaging with reusable alternatives offers an opportunity worth at least $10 billion.

A few of the initiatives we’re working on

Here are some examples of the trials we’re currently running. Success is very dependent on consumers changing their behaviour and that’s something we can’t control. But we’ll continue to test, learn and refine so we can deliver a range of solutions that work.
Cif Ecorefill bottle
Cif Ecorefill bottle

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Cif ecorefill is a new technology that allows consumers to refill and reuse their Cif spray bottles for life. Made with 75% less plastic, the refill simply attaches to the current Power & Shine bottles, releasing the super-concentrated product, which is filled with water at home. The ecorefill is 100% recyclable once the plastic sleeve is removed. By the end of 2020, we’re aiming for all Cif ecorefill and spray bottles to be made from 100% recycled plastic. What’s more, diluting the product at home means 97% less water is being transported, fewer trucks on the road and less greenhouse gas emissions. This innovation will remove 1.5 million plastic bottles from UK supermarkets.

Loop products
Loop products

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At the beginning of this year, nine of our brands started trialling reusable packaging innovations on LOOP, a global, first-of-its-kind, waste-free shopping system. Consumers buy online directly from LOOP’s website or from a partner retailer. They get their products delivered in a reusable tote – this also eliminates the need for single-use shipping materials like cardboard boxes. Once they have finished the product, LOOP picks it up from their home, replenishes the products as needed and returns the refilled shipping tote back to the consumer’s doorstep. Four of the brands involved also launched new formats, specifically for the platform. Dove, Rexona and AXE are testing a premium, refillable deodorant stick called minim™, where each pack is expected to last about eight years. And Signal is trialling refillable toothpaste tablets, which come in a recyclable, refillable jar meaning there’s no packaging or product waste.

Algramo Van
Algramo Van

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In Chile, we’re partnering with Algramo to pilot an app-powered, intelligent dispensing system that uses electric tricycles to deliver to people’s homes. Shoppers buy reusable containers and create an online account, which manages credits for refilling and stores loyalty rewards for reusing packaging that can be recouped from the dispensing machines. Users can arrange the free visit of a tricycle via the app. When it arrives, they simply dispense the desired amount and pay per weight. The first pilot is offering refill options for our Omo and Quix homecare products. The app also stores data on product preferences and allows for cashless payment. This mobile dispensing system offers a cost-effective and convenient alternative to sachets.

Refillery at marks and spencers
Refillery at marks and spencers

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A pilot from All Things Hair – our content platform for hair inspiration and advice – brought a whole new model of eco-friendly shopping to consumers in the Philippines. The All Things Hair Refillery launched in March in three shopping malls across Manila. The pilot gave consumers the opportunity to buy their regular Unilever shampoo and conditioner brands – Cream Silk, Sunsilk, Dove and TRESemmé – without the additional packaging waste, and pay by weight. If they didn’t have a bottle to hand, 100% recyclable bottles were available at the stations. The stations also functioned as upcycling hubs where consumers could drop off their used sachets and plastic bottles. The pilot has now finished, and we are sharing our insights with the industry and government as an input to the planned revamp of refilling regulations in the country. Plans to extend the initiative to other products within our portfolio are also underway.

3L omo bottles stand
3L omo bottles stand

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In Brazil, the concept of a concentrated product where you only need a much smaller dose than normal has never really taken off. Consumers tend to use too much and, therefore, it ends up costing them more. It’s also common for people to dilute regular home care products to make them last longer. With both these things in mind, we created dilutable Omo liquid – a six times concentrate that can be diluted at home. This is much better value for consumers, retailing for 20–30% less than the regular 3-litre bottle. It’s also great for the environment, because the concentrate bottles use 75% less plastic. A small-scale pilot with three major retailers in São Paulo allowed us to gather crucial consumer feedback – such as the importance of a transparent regular bottle – which we have used to refine the product. The response has been extremely positive, so we will start the roll-out in Brazil by August.


The challenges

There are several ways in which refill-reuse models could work. You can fill up your container at home using refills you buy at a shop or online. You can use an in-store dispensing machine at a large supermarket. You can get your empty containers picked up from home, replenished and delivered back. Or you can return packaging at a store or drop-off point, as part of a deposit-return scheme.

While different options will suit different people and different circumstances, they all pose their own challenges.

From a business perspective, there are various considerations. For example, putting a dispensing machine in a shop or picking up empty packaging to wash, refill and return requires very different distribution and logistics operations that, to work, need to be efficient and economically viable.

Deposit and reward schemes must be carefully thought through to ensure they incentivise the return of packaging without putting consumers off with a high initial deposit. And if we want consumers to return bottles, we need to make sure there are enough drop-off points in the right locations.

But even if business gets this side of the equation sorted, we can’t force consumers to buy into the idea. That's why we need to work with others on this transition. It requires people to change often long-held habits in terms of how they both shop and consume.

Will consumers think it’s too much hassle to clean their containers and take them to a shop to refill them? It’s becoming the norm for us to carry refillable water bottles, but is it a step too far to lug big laundry bottles back and forth?

Will they be tempted by smaller, less impressive looking refill packs that sit alongside full-sized products on the supermarket shelf?

Will they trust that a concentrated refill diluted with water at home really does have the same cleaning power?

As Richard Slater, Unilever’s Chief R&D Officer, explains: “This is a really exciting area and one where we’re aiming to take a leading role. While we’ve been designing potential solutions and experimenting for some time, it’s a new and very different concept for consumers.

“We’re trailing various approaches to tackle the issue, as there is unlikely to be a one-size-fits-all solution. We’re determined to make a real difference on the plastics challenge, and so we’ll continue to experiment and to test, learn and refine.”

Closing the loop 

The other thing to remember is that this won’t necessarily get rid of plastic completely. Plastic is still involved in some way in most models – in the small refill bottles or the bulk dispensing containers in-store. Plus of course, for the most part, the initial reusable container is made from plastic.

What’s important is that these models – if designed and implemented correctly – will dramatically reduce the amount of plastic in circulation. Plus, to really ‘close the loop’, we need to make sure that most, if not all, the various elements are themselves widely recyclable.