Plastic waste is a massive problem for us and our planet, with over 8 million metric tons entering our oceans each year. The COVID-19 pandemic has only intensified the situation even more, as people go through millions of disposable masks and gloves, along with single-use restaurant takeaway containers.
Thankfully, there are many big-name consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies that are switching from plastic to paperboard based bottles and packaging, including Diageo, Unilever, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, and Heineken UK.
Richard Slater, the Chief R&D Officer at Unilever, said:
“We believe in tackling plastic waste through innovation and collaboration. We are going to halve our use of virgin plastic at Unilever, reducing our use of plastic packaging by more than 100,000 tonnes in the next five years. Joining forces [with companies like Diageo] to develop and test paper bottles is an incredibly exciting step forward, and we’re delighted to be working together to tackle one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time.” Read more…