Unilever announced plans to eliminate fossil fuels from its cleaning products by 2030. The company anticipates moving to sourcing renewable or recycled carbon for cleaning and laundry product formulations. Chemicals used in the manufacturer’s cleaning and laundry products make up 46% of their carbon footprint — the greatest percentage — across their life-cycle, according to Unilever. The company says that transitioning away from fossil fuel-derived chemicals is expected to reduce the formulations’ carbon footprint by as much as 20%.
The company created a new program, called Clean Future, within the Home Care division to help move away from fossil fuels. Unilever said they are ring-fencing approximately $840 million for the program to invest in biotech research, carbon dioxide and waste utilization, and low-carbon chemistry. “This investment will also be used to create biodegradable and water-efficient product formulations, to halve the use of virgin plastic by 2025, and support the development of brand communications that make these technologies appealing to consumers,” Unilever added.
Under the Clean Future program, Unilever hopes to scale up tech currently in development. In Slovakia, the manufacturer has a partnership with biotech company Evonik Industries to produce a type of renewable and biodegradable surfactant called rhamnolipids. Unilever said that the surfactant is already being used in their Sunlight dishwashing liquid in Chile and Vietnam.
Source: Environmental Leader
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