Unilever has unveiled a new deodorant canister which it claims has a 25% lower carbon footprint than the previous version.
The new look cans, which will be used for the female range of its Sure, Dove and Vaseline brands, require only half of the propellant of the outgoing design but still last for the same amount of time.
Across the three brands Unilever says this will result in an average 25% less aluminium and, due to the smaller size, 53% more cans fit onto a pallet meaning 35% fewer lorries on the road transporting the products. Amanda Sourry, chairman of Unilever UK & Ireland, said: “Unilever is becoming a leader in sustainability and we believe that this new innovation represents a genuine shift change in the way aerosol deodorants can be manufactured. The reduced environmental impact of providing consumers with a smaller can will take us another step closer to realising our global ambition of doubling the size of our business while reducing our environmental impact.”
Four out of five consumers in the UK and Ireland prefer aerosols to roll on or stick deodorants and around 19 million cans of female aerosol deodorant are used in the UK each year alone. As a result this will mean an immediate 24 fewer tonnes of aluminium – the equivalent to over 1.8 million soft drink cans - and a 283 tonne reduction in carbon used every year for Unilever brands alone.
Richard Swannell, director of design and waste prevention at WRAP, said: “The new aerosols represent a step change in the aerosol category and WRAP applauds Unilever’s leadership role in evolving the format. Through the Courtauld Commitment we have encouraged packaging innovation and these new aerosols deliver both impressive packaging and transport savings. We hope the environmental benefits, as well as the convenient small size, are appreciated by the consumer. Unilever’s prominent support for the recycling of aerosols at the end of their life is also demonstrated through supporting initiatives such as Metal Matters.”
Unilever is claimed to be the UK’s largest deodorant manufacturer and this latest step will allow it to make progress towards two of its Sustainable Living Plan targets: to halve the greenhouse gas impact of products across the lifecycle by 2020; and to halve the waste associated with the disposal of products by 2020.