Unilever to trial 'world's first' paper laundry detergent bottles in Brazil

Consumer products company Unilever has announced it will begin trials of what it claims is the "world's first" paper-based laundry detergent bottle early next year in Brazil.

The prototype bottle has been developed for detergent brand OMO, also known as Persil, Skip and Breeze), and Unilever says its aim is for the early-2022 Brazilian debut to be followed soon after by rollout in the EU and elsewhere. 

Developed in partnership with Pulpex, a consortium featuring Unilever, Pilot Life, Diageo and other industry stalwarts, the bottle is reportedly made of sustainably sourced pulp and is designed to be recycled as paper waste.

Key to the technology is a proprietary water-repellent coating which is sprayed on the bottles’ inside, enabling it to hold liquids such as detergents, shampoos and conditioners.

Read more: 20 companies produce 55% of global plastic waste, research reveals

The company said that creating recyclable, paper-based packaging without plastic layers was a “huge challenge”.

Richard Slater, Unilever’s chief R&D officer, said: “To tackle plastic waste, we need to completely rethink how we design and package products. This requires a drastic change that can only be achieved through industry-wide collaboration. Pulpex paper-based bottle technology is an exciting step in the right direction, and we are delighted to be working together to trial this innovation for our products.

“Innovating with alternative materials is a key part of our sustainable packaging strategy and will play an important role in our commitment to halve our use of virgin plastic materials by 2025.”

Unilever's announcement comes after its pledge in October 2019 to cut the use of virgin plastic in all products by 50% by 2025. 

If the company's rollout plans for the Pulpex bottle go ahead as planned, it would also mean Unilever is likely to reduce its obligations under new plastics tax regulations being introduced in the EU, US and UK.

While the news has been met with general optimism, there are those in the recycling industry who have voiced concerns over the impact of the inner lining on current recycling infrastructure.

Read more: An innovative solution to the problem of plastic waste

Jeremy Blake of specialist recycling company Enval, said: "There is abject panic in some quarters. People are worried companies are going to dive into something else except for plastic which could be worse for the environment and current recycling infrastructure.

"We’ve already seen brands switch some packaging to forms of pouches with ‘80% less plastic’ for example. What this does is actually make the product much more difficult to recycle."

Referring to Unilever's paper-based bottle itself, Blake said: "I think industry is dubious about the recyclability of this material, the inner liner could easily be a form of plastic in itself, which we have seen with previous models. There are some specialist plants for this type of material, but for most of the paper mills, this would be considered a contaminant. Any form of plastic would also make export of the material difficult if mixed with paper."

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