Unilever supports OCPB's new regulation to reduce packaging waste

OCPB announced it would introduce a new regulation designed to reduce packaging waste by limiting the empty space (head space) in packaging containers, an initiative similar to those in developed countries aimed at protecting consumers and the environment.

 

Unilever Thailand said it fully supports these efforts to reduce packaging  head space as it will reduce packaging waste starting at the manufacturer level, thus promoting  consumer protection and environmental  sustainability in line with the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, the company’s ambitious global commitment to halving its environmental impact, improving the health and well-being of more than a billion people, and enhancing the livelihoods of millions working in its value chain, all by 2020.

 

Speaking at the seminar before the OCPB announcement, Ms Supattra Paopiamsap, CEO, Unilever Thailand Group of Companies, noted that “four years into our ambitious and wide-ranging Sustainable Living Plan, Unilever is making a growing and positive impact on its business in terms of growth, cost-efficiency and resilience for the future. At a time when more and more companies are talking about “brands with purpose”, Unilever has put some definition and measurement behind what we call “sustainable living brands”—meaning brands that contribute to one or more of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan goals and have a sustainable living purpose.”

 

Recognising that over-sized product packaging in Thailand has become a growing issue, as many consumer products are marketed in unnecessarily large containers,

 

Mr.Weerachai Chomsakorn , Deputy Secretary- General of the Office of Consumer Protection Board, noted that the problem is particularly noticeable in consumer products groups such as snacks and foods, as well as soap and detergents, where packaging head space ranges between a reasonable 15% and as much as 35%, although labeling will still indicate the true amount of the product in the package.

 

To improve consumer protection, while at the same time reducing the packaging waste burden on the environment, the OCPB will issue new regulations limiting product packaging head space.  The forum was aimed at gathering additional information and input from related organizations such as the Department of Environmental Quality Promotion, the Pollution Control Department and private sector industry representatives to ensure that any new regulations will be implemented based on a common standard and in a cooperative partnership with the industry.

 

“Today, many developed countries such as Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Canada have regulations to control packaging, including the amount of head space,” Mr.Weerachai noted. “If Thailand can follow suit, it will benefit consumers, as they will not be confused by over-sized packaging, while the environment will benefit from a reduction in the amount of packaging waste created.”

 

Ms. Savitree Srisuk, Senior Specialist on Environmental Education, Department of Environmental Quality Promotion, under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment noted that the amount of garbage in Thailand's landfills is a staggering 14.8 million tons, and this number continues to increase every year.  This huge volume of garbage affects the environment tremendously; particularly waste from packaging, which constitutes a large portion of all waste produced.  Finding ways of reducing over-sized packaging will go a long way toward reducing the environmental impact, and will be a solution that is implemented at the source: manufacturers. These solutions form an important part of the Government's efforts through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to reduce waste in cooperation with other related government departments, and the private sector.

 

Ms. Supattra Paopiamsap, added that as Unilever is one of the world's largest manufacturers and marketers of consumer products, the Company is very much aware of its responsibilities toward the environment and the communities of which it is a member.  “Even so, the Company is well aware that to achieve positive and long-lasting change that will improve the environment and benefit society, we must take a long-term view that takes into account not only internal corporate achievements and advancements, but also the need to create partnerships and to work together with government agencies, society, and business partners to ensure systematic and positive change.  Some problems cannot be solved by one person or one entity, and that is why we support the idea of the Office of Consumer Protection Board to reduce packaging waste.  In the past we have developed many different packaging innovations that have reduced materials inputs significantly while maintaining product efficiency.  Some of these innovations include the reduction in paper thickness for secondary packaging to the reduction of the use plastics.  We are certain that this latest effort will contribute to solving the packaging waste problem in a sustainable manner.  When all sectors cooperate to achieve a common goal, positive benefits to the environment can be achieved and promoted,” Supattra said.

 

The forum on “Unilever Sustainable Living Plan Report 2014: Scaling for impact and Reducing Packaging Head Space: A sustainable solution for consumer and environmental protection” attracted the interest of many different groups and organizations and was attended by representatives from the Office of Consumer Protection Board under the Prime Minister's Office, the Department of Environmental Protection Promotion and the Pollution Control Department, under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the  Federation of Thai Industries, the National Metal and Materials Technology Center, National Science and Technology Development Agency, and others.  The attendance by these agencies at the forum marks an excellent beginning to cooperation on an issue that is of great importance to the future sustainable development of the country, and one that needs to be tackled urgently by all sectors.

 

About Unilever Sustainable Living Plan:

In November 2010, Unilever set out the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, committing to a ten year journey towards sustainable growth.  Today, Unilever confirmed it is on track to meet most of the goals.

 

The Plan has three big goals to reach by 2020:

•      Help more than 1 billion people improve their health and well-being

•      Halve the environmental footprint of its products and de-couple environmental impact from growth

•      Source 100% of agricultural raw materials sustainably and enhance the livelihoods of millions of people

 

By the end of 2014, Unilever has reported the following measurable updates to its Sustainable Living Plan:

 

Sustainable living brands

 

The company explained its rigorous approach to defining, measuring and monitoring ‘sustainable living brands’ as a combination of measurable contribution to one or more of its sustainability targets in the product lifecycle and a clear sustainability-linked purpose. It outlined a widening in the brands that classify as ‘sustainable living brands’ in their portfolio for 2015:

 

•    Dirt is Good, which includes Omo and Persil, whose purpose is about helping more children have access to the quality education they need to reach their full potential. Called the Preparing Children for Tomorrow Initiative, it will be rolling out globally through the rest of 2015 and beyond.

•    Vaseline is teaming up with international NGO Direct Relief to help heal the skin of 5 million people living in vulnerable situations by 2020, including people caught up in natural disasters and in refugee camps.

•    Sunlight, Unilever’s oldest brand, which aims to reduce the burden of the millions of women who spend 200 million hours every day finding, fetching and carrying water and to free up their time. After successfully piloting two Sunlight Water Centres in Nigeria in 2014, in partnership with Oxfam, where women can safely get clean water, wash their clothes and dishes, and buy affordable everyday products without walking long distances, Sunlight plans to scale this up in 2015.

 

Sourcing and working across our value chain

Over 55% of Unilever’s agricultural raw materials are now sustainably sourced, more than half way to its 2020 target of 100%, and after 4 years, the Company is nearly 40% of the way (397 million) to reaching the target of helping to improve the health and wellbeing of over 1 billion people by 2020.

 

While greenhouse gas emissions have reduced in Unilever’s operations, across their value chain they have increased by 4% since 2010. While disappointing, underlying sales growth of 21% over the same period shows Unilever has started to decouple its environmental footprint from its sales growth.

 

Driving transformational change

To make a transformational difference to systems it operates within, Unilever is focusing its efforts on three areas where it is using its scale, influence and capabilities to catalyse change:

•    ending illegal deforestation caused by commodity supply chains, which causes up to 15% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions;

•    mainstreaming sustainable agriculture by helping smallholder farmers improve their yields and livelihoods;

•    improving health by making water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) more accessible.

 

Ending deforestation

Ending deforestation linked to commodity supply chains and ensuring sustainable supplies of agricultural ingredients are strategic priorities for Unilever as a business, for combatting climate change, for global food security and for human development.

 

In 2014 Unilever championed the UN Declaration on Forests, in which over 170 governments, NGOs and multinational companies agreed to halve deforestation by 2020 and end it by 2030.

 

Continued progress across the palm oil industry in tackling deforestation with more than 90% of global traded palm oil now covered by zero deforestation commitments

 

Championing sustainable agriculture

To mainstream sustainable agriculture, Unilever is focusing on key commodities where it has the most influence and on helping smallholder farmers to improve their yields and livelihoods.

 

The company has helped and trained around 800,000 smallholder farmers since 2010 and announced a string of partnerships in 2014 to scale up its work in this area, including with IFAD, Solidaridad, Acumen and Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership, GAIN, Oxfam and the Ford Foundation.

 

Improving WASH

With leading brands in the in-home water purification, toilet cleaning and health soap product categories, making water, sanitation and hygiene commonplace is both a human development and market development opportunity. Unilever is applying its advocacy to encourage universal access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene to be adopted as an SDG and offered its support to Indian Prime Minister Modi’s ‘Clean India’ campaign, which aims to end open defecation by 2019.

 

Unilever is also working with a number of partners to scale up its WASH programmes, including DFID, Wateraid, PLAN, WSUP and the Children’s Investment Fund.

 

Cost savings:

•        Unilever has made cumulative cost avoidance of over €400m through eco-efficiency measures in its factories since 2008. 

•        In addition to this, last year (2014) Unilever made over €200m of savings through manufacturing, logistics, material efficiencies and research and development which can be attributed to the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan.

Mitigating Risks:

•        Future proofing the supply chain in a world of finite resources: In 2014, 55% of Unilever’s agricultural raw materials were sustainably sourced, ensuring supply.

 

About Unilever:

 

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Food, Home and Personal Care products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2 billion consumers a day. It has 172,000 employees and generated sales of €48.4 billion in 2014. Over half (57%) of the company’s footprint is in developing and emerging markets. Unilever has more than 400 brands found in homes around the world, including Persil, Dove, Knorr, Domestos, Hellmann’s, Lipton, Wall’s, PG Tips, Ben & Jerry’s, Marmite, Magnum and Lynx.

 

Unilever was ranked number one in its sector in the 2014 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. In the FTSE4Good Index, it achieved the highest environmental score of 5. It led the list of Global Corporate Sustainability Leaders in the 2014 GlobeScan/SustainAbility annual survey for the fourth year running, and in 2015 was ranked the most sustainable food and beverage company in Oxfam’s Behind the Brands Scorecard.

 

Unilever has been named in LinkedIn’s Top 3 most sought-after employers across all sectors.

 

For more information about Unilever and its brands, please visit www.unilever.com. For more information on the USLP: www.unilever.com/sustainable-living/