The new box, made from a specially designed PE (polyethylene) coated cardboard, has built-in compartments, so the individual ice creams can be inserted, without a plastic wrapper, and the box can be widely recycled in the UK.
This trial is the latest in Unilever’s ‘#GetPlasticWise’ initiative which aims to rethink plastic in the UK. The plan sees Unilever working collaboratively with partners to seek out solutions plus support and educate consumers on how they can reduce plastic consumption.
This launch reflects its commitment to ensure that, globally, all of its plastic packaging is fully reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025, and to using more recycled plastic content in its packaging.
The wrapper-less ice-cream multipack for Solero’s Organic Peach range is being trialed exclusively with Ocado, with a limited number of products, to test the new packaging and gather consumer response.
Noel Clarke, vice president of refreshment at Unilever, said, “As we head towards summer, we’ve listened to our customers and are working hard to rethink plastic packaging for our ice cream ranges. We’re delighted to be trialling this wrapper-less Solero multipack with Ocado in the UK. If successful and the feedback from customers is positive, this innovative pack could reduce the amount of plastic we use in the future to package our ice creams.”
Helen Bird, strategic engagement manager at WRAP (which manages The UK Plastics Pact), said, “We’re really impressed with the level of innovation and creativity that Unilever, a founding member of The UK Plastics Pact, has shown in developing this new pack. It will be welcomed by shoppers who we know want to be able to recycle the packaging they bring home from supermarkets. We look forward to seeing the results of the trial.”
Solero Organic Peach has an outer water ice of peach, with a puree soft center. Each individual stick contains 60 kcal, is also suitable for vegan and vegetarian diets and is gluten free.
Unilever UK’s new Five Point Plastic Plan
Unilever’s ‘#GetPlasticWise’ campaign comprises a Five Point Plastic Plan, which is a holistic approach to rethinking plastic which reflects Unilever’s ambition ensuring all its plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025, as well as increasing use of recycled plastic content in its packaging.
Working towards a closed loop, the Five Point Plastic Plan focuses on five key areas:
- Increase the amount of recycled content used and the recyclability of packaging
- Reduce the amount of plastic in products and business, and ensure that the plastic needed can be reused, recycled or composted
- Seek alternatives to plastic
- Support positive behavior change with consumers and employees
- Work collaboratively with a range of partners to affect change
About UK Plastics Pact
Unilever is a founding member of The UK Plastics Pact, which has a vision for an economy where plastics never become waste. It brings together the entire plastics packaging value chain behind this vision, including governments, businesses, local authorities, NGOs and consumers, and commits to a set of ambitious targets by 2025:
- Eliminating problematic or unnecessary single-use packaging through redesign, innovation or alternative (re-use) delivery models
- 100% of plastics packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable
- 70% of plastics packaging effectively recycled or composted
- 30% average recycled content across all plastic packaging