Unilever, the fifth largest plastic polluter in the world is taking steps to do something about it. The British-Dutch company produces products for the food and beverage industry along with health and beauty products.
In a report released by Break Free From Plastic (BFFP) in October, it identified the top corporate plastic polluters in the world and urged those companies to take immediate action to make changes. With a need for these corporations to address the primary issue of reducing plastic dependence and also important, using the plastic we currently have rather than producing more new plastics to add to the problem.
Unilever alone owns more than 400 brands, so their decision to make changes can have a big effect. The company has just recently signed an agreement with UK recycling and waste management company Viridor. The two companies have agreed to an initial five-year contract for recycled plastic, according to a statement released by Viridor on November 20th.
Viridor has a new plant set for operation in 2021. According to Viridor the £65m Avonmouth facility will be the largest multi-polymer reprocessing plant in the UK. Recycling of post-consumer bottles, pots, and other materials containing PET, PP, and HDPE materials will be handled at the plant.
A £252m (€293m) energy recovery unit is expected to power the facility and will generate nearly 282GWh of power from 320,000 tons of waste that will be diverted from landfills.
Keith Trower, Resource Management managing director at Viridor released a statement: “Viridor and Unilever are committed to helping the UK achieve its recycling and sustainability targets and this contract demonstrates how we are translating that ambition in action.”
Unilever UK & Ireland general manager Sebastian Munden replied:
Unilever has committed to increase its use of recycled plastic and close the loop on plastic packaging. Limited availability of high-quality recycled content has, though, remained a challenge and that’s why we’re so pleased that our collaboration with Viridor will bring extra capacity online in the UK. This will be essential towards creating a more circular market, as well as contributing to the UK Plastic Pact targets.
Once operations at the Avonmouth plant begin, they hope to process 81,000 tons of plastic feedstock and turn it into 60,000 tons of recycled PET, HDPE, and PP into both pellet and flake form, per year.
I’d say this is a decent first step from Unilever, at least it shows they care a little bit. These small steps can add up and hopefully, the other major plastic polluters will take action as well. Because let’s face it, all this talk about businesses and industries making changes by 2030 or 2050 is a joke. The planet is showing us all the warning signs that immediate action is required. Not with baby steps, but with completely rethinking how we produce and manufacture goods and take the major steps necessary to do it NOW. While it’s great that their focus is on the problem in the UK. Hopefully, next, they can take action and help to clean up the plastic waste killing marine life and polluting the oceans all around the world.
