Dove Announces Plan to Move to 100% Recycled Plastic Bottles by the End of 2019
Dove is proving its commitment to sustainability.
The leading beauty care products brand just announced an initiative to cut back on plastic waste, and the long-term plan will “reduce the use of virgin plastic by more than 20,5000 tons per year.”
To put that number into perspective, it’s enough to encircle the Earth 2.7 times, according to a press release.
Here’s a breakdown of the three-part promise: Dove will move to 100% recycled plastic bottles across its Dove, DoveMen+Care and Baby Dove brands in North America and Europe by the end of 2019. The Dove Beauty Bar will feature plastic-free packaging globally by the end of 2020. And reusable, refillable, stainless steel format Dove deodorant sticks are in the works.
“Dove is committed to leading the fight against plastic waste, and catalyzing change within the industry and beyond,” the press release stated. “Through these initiatives, Dove calls for collaborative, accelerated action to help resolve the world’s plastic problem, shifting both commercial and consumer behavior to turn the tide against plastic waste.”
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Dove’s initiative — which will contribute to the ambitious sustainability plan put forth earlier this month by the brand’s parent company, Unilever — will directly address the fact that single-use packaging is a major contributor to plastic waste. Along with converting to plastic-free Beauty Bar single packs by the end of 2020, Dove is also working to develop the same environmentally-friendly packaging for Beauty Bar multipacks.
And while 100% recycled plastic packaging for Dove, DoveMen+Care and Baby Dove products (including caps and pumps) is still not possible in some areas of the world, the company says it “continues to search for solutions where recycled plastic is not currently technically feasible.”
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Dove also announced it will trial its not-yet-launched waste-free deodorant sticks — made possible by a new technology called “minim” — using the minimal waste, direct-to-consumer shopping system called LOOP.
“Through a combination of alternative packaging materials, recycled plastic where needed, and investing in refill technology, Dove is driving the movement to create a new value for plastics and reducing the volume of plastic packaging it produces,” the press release said.
