Our commitment to our planet
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OUR PLASTICS USE, RECYCLING AND ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE
At Rexona we’re on a mission to inspire the confidence in everyone to move more. With our planet under unprecedented pressure, outdoor physical activity is one of the many aspects of daily life that can be directly impacted by the environmental emergency we face.
As one of the world’s biggest deodorant brands, it’s our priority to do everything we can to protect the outdoor spaces and places in which we all move. Our goal is to minimize our impact on the world around us, so that everyone can keep moving safely.
We’re committed to taking steps to help protect the planet, by helping you to make more sustainable choices. We’re taking a holistic approach, looking at our complete value chain and working with our partners to help solve the challenges. We are working collaboratively to reduce the production of greenhouse gases that lead to climate change, and to tackle the plastic waste that is polluting our environment.
ALL ABOUT OUR PLASTICS USE AND RECYCLING
Plastic pollution is a huge and urgent problem for our planet’s ecosystems. Currently, 40% of the world’s plastic packaging ends up in landfill, while only 14% makes it to a recycling plant, and just 9% is actually recycled. This situation needs to change – quickly.
For us, it all starts with our parent company Unilever’s commitment to tackling waste and packaging. We are working towards the aim of Less plastic. Better plastic. No plastic.Opens in a new window We’re proud to be part of such a forward-thinking company, and to support Unilever’s industry-leading commitment to achieve the following by 2025:
We will halve our use of virgin plastic.*
At least 25% of the plastic we use will come from a recycled source (also known as ‘post consumer recycled’ material or PCR).
100% of our packaging will be recyclable, reusable or compostable.
We know that you care about the environment as much as we do – and to take better care of our planet, everyone needs to do their bit. That’s why, as well as innovating to make our products more sustainable, we’re always exploring new recyclable technologies and materials for our packaging at Unilever. We’re also supporting authorities around the world to make recycling as easy as possible for our customers.
Just like you, we never stand still. So let’s take a closer look at the important areas we’re focusing on – from reducing plastic waste, to increasing our use of recycled plastic, and making recycling easier.
*compared with 2018 figures.
Reducing plastic waste
What are our ambitions?
At Rexona we’re committed to minimizing our use of virgin and single-use plastics wherever possible. To achieve this, we’re continually looking for ways to improve our design and manufacturing, to develop innovative packaging that uses better plastic and produces less waste.
How are we making a difference?
In ANZ, we're aiming for a 30% reduction in the weight of plastic we use in our range of Roll On deodorant by 2023. We’re doing this by redesigning our current Roll On pack to a more ergonomic and lighter shape. We also have plans to add PCR into this new Roll On design, once it’s validated in local sourcing site.
Increasing our use of PCR
What are our ambitions?
PCR is short for post-consumer recycled. Put simply, it’s plastic that has already been recycled and is ready to be re-used again – keeping plastic waste away from landfill. Across Unilever, we’re aiming for all our packs to contain as much PCR material as possible, both plastic and aluminium. Our bold ambition is to include 25% PCR material across our complete range of products by 2025. The demand for PCR materials is growing, but it’s still unavailable in some parts of the world; where that’s the case, we’re working with authorities to help them understand the value of PCR material and begin recycling the relevant materials.
How are we making a difference?
We’re working to increase the use of PCR material in all our deodorants. In ANZ, we have started to use 79% PCR in the aerosol spray nozzles used in our Rexona male aerosol products. We're also actively working with our local aerosol can supplier to explore the feasibility of adding PCR content into our aerosol cans. The availability of PCR aluminium is also a challenge, as there’s currently not enough recycled aluminium of stable and reliable quality – but we're working hard with our suppliers to scale up where possible.
Making recycling easier
What are our ambitions?
Our aim is for all our deodorant packaging to be recyclable by 2025. We’re always on the lookout for innovative recycling materials to incorporate into our bottles and cans. And we’re working to improve access to recycling, which often differs from state to state, and country to country depending on local facilities, infrastructure and regulations. Our ambition is to help make recycling simple and accessible for everyone, and to create a future where everyone can recycle their deodorants.
How are we making a difference?
We’re particularly passionate about raising awareness that our aerosols can be infinitely recycled. Many people don’t realize that aerosol cans are made from aluminium, which is a sustainable material that can be recycled forever with no loss of quality. Improving access to recycling is also a crucial factor, so we’re working with APCO (Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation) and recycling facilities in Australia, to improve the local recyclability of aerosol cans.