World’s first paper-based laundry detergent bottle

Unilever uses new technology to create the first-ever paper-based laundry detergent bottle, made of sustainably sourced pulp and designed to be recycled in standard paper waste streams.

A prototype is being developed for our OMO brand – which is also known as Persil, Skip, and Breeze, depending on where you live in the world. This is set to debut in Brazil by early 2022, and we are also piloting the same technology to create paper-based haircare bottles.

The ground-breaking technology has been developed in partnership with the Pulpex consortium, a collaboration among Unilever, Diageo, Pilot Lite, and different industry members.

The ability to package liquid products in paper-based bottles will be a considerable achievement, but before they hit the shelves, our packaging scientists will run various tests to see how they perform in real-life situations, from transportation to storage in damp environments. 

In addition, they must fulfill our obligations in terms of durability, user experience, and minimization of environmental impact.

A radical rethink

The bottles are sprayed under a proprietary coating that resists water, enabling the material to operate liquid products like laundry detergent, shampoo, and conditioners, including surfactants, fragrances, and other active ingredients.

While creating recyclable, paper-based packaging without additional plastic layers is a massive challenge; the Pulpex solution offers a promising way to radically reduce plastic use in line with our commitments to a waste-free world.

The alternative solution of Co-ex bottle for the chemical packaging with Plasma Coating technology

“To tackle plastic waste, we need to rethink how we design and package products completely,” says Richard Slater, Unilever’s Chief R&D Officer. “This needs a drastic change that can only be accomplished through industry-wide collaboration. Pulpex paper bottle technology is an interesting step in the right direction, and we are happy to be working together to trial this discovery for our products.”

Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the impact of products on the planet and are making purchasing choices based on sustainability factors, including packaging. Therefore, delivering functionally superior products that address environmental issues that people care about – such as innovative sustainable packaging – will make Unilever a more substantial, more successful business.

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