It aims to drastically cut down on non- renewable carbon and emission by 2039
Consumer goods major Unilever has announced plans to change its cleaning and laundry product formulations by replacing 100% of the carbon derived from fossil fuels with renewable or recycled carbon by 2030. Many cleaning and laundry products contain chemicals made from fossil fuel feedstocks, a non- renewable source of carbon. Unilever has also pledged to move towards zero emissions from its products by 2039.
The company’s €1 billion investment in its Clean Future initiative will see the consumer goods major fund global research, development, and innovation in circular cleaning chemistry. It will also be used to create biodegradable and water- efficient product formulations globally, and to halve the use of virgin plastic by 2025, while supporting the development of brand communications that make these technologies appealing to consumers.
The chemicals used in Unilever’s cleaning and laundry products make up the greatest proportion of their carbon footprint (46%) across their life cycle. The move could reduce the carbon footprint of the company’s product formulations by up to 20%.