Packaging gains for Unilever

Unilever Dove Body Wash bottles will contain at a minimum 15% less plastic as a result of an interesting new packaging technology just launched by Unilever.

Extrusion blow moulding (EBM) was created in close collaboration with two of the corporation’s global packaging suppliers, Alpla and MuCell Extrusion.  It employs gas-injection to create bubbles in the middle layer of the bottle wall, reducing the density of the bottle and the amount of plastic required. 

The technology will be deployed first in Europe across the Dove Body Wash range, before extending globally. With up to 33 million Dove Body Wash bottles sold across Europe in 2013, the new technology stands to save up to 275 tonnes of plastic a year – a full roll-out across every Unilever product and packaging format could save up to 27,000 tonnes of plastic and contribute significantly to the target set out in the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan to halve its waste footprint by 2020.