By 2025, 100% of Henkel's packaging will be recyclable or reusable and the company will reduce fossil-based virgin plastics by 50% in its consumer goods packaging.
The company announced its new goals last week, and also said it was aiming for zero waste ending up in the environment. While far-reaching, the company has already chalked up its first successes with the launch of a range of plastic packaging consisting wholly of recycled material, for example.
“To drive further progress and promote a circular economy, we are working closely together with our partners along the entire value chain,” said Sylvie Nicol, executive vice president Human Resources at Henkel and chair of Henkel’s Sustainability Council.
The three-way strategy developed by the company to achieve the new packaging targets for 2025 has been briefly summarised as “100 / 50 / Zero”, which, says the company, translates as:
100% recyclable or reusable: By 2025, all packaging material will be recyclable or reusable; today the company is already at 85%. Key to this is the development of solutions - in close collaboration with partners inside and outside the industry - to overcome the recycling hurdles specific to each packaging category.
50% less fossil plastic: again, a triple approach, as Henkel will seek to reduce the volume of packaging, increase the proportion of recycled material in its consumer goods packaging to more than 30% globally and to use bio-based plastics in the consumer goods businesses Beauty Care and Laundry & Home Care.
Zero waste: To help prevent waste from being disposed into the environment, Henkel is supporting waste collection and recycling initiatives and investing in technologies to promote closed-loop recycling.