Consumer demand for sustainable brands is growing, according to data released by Unilever Brazil during the presentation of the company's annual sustainability plan progress. According to the survey, 33% of consumers make purchases sustainably, while 21% do not buy, but would be willing to do so.
The company has also committed to having 100% of recyclable, reusable or compostable plastic packaging by 2025, and that 25% of its plastic packaging will be recycled plastic.
The data was presented during the annual event which presents the company's results in 2017 and advances in the Sustainability Plan, held this Friday, 18th.
Launched in 2010, the Plan has already seen 80% fulfill its commitments and the performance of its sustainable brands has grown for the fourth consecutive year. In 2017, purpose-driven brands outperformed the rest of the business and delivered 70% of company growth.
The company's goal is to halve the environmental impact of our products by the year 2030 and improve the living and working conditions of millions of people by the year 2020.
“We believe that business growth must happen in a sustainable way and the numbers prove that since the launch of the Sustainability Plan in 2010, we have made great advances. The fact that our sustainable brands continue to grow indicates that this is a business model that works. But, of course, we are always looking for improvements. The focus now is to seek greater agility and scale of impact”, says Fernando Fernandez, president of Unilever Brasil.
During the event, Unilever held the panel “Circular Ideas: Obstacles and Solutions in the Brazilian Recycling Chain” which was attended by representatives from civil society, Government, NGOs and the private sector.
Waste Management at Unilever
From 2008 to 2017, global data from Unilever reveals a reduction of 98% in waste sent to landfill. In relation to waste associated with the disposal of its products, the decrease was 29%. In Brazil, all operations (factories, distribution centers and offices) have already reached the “Zero Landfill” mark.
Focused on reducing waste generation, the company consistently invests in concentrated products and refills, in addition to developing packaging that uses less raw material while still delivering quality and safety to the consumer. One example is the pioneering Pão de Açúcar Unilever Recycling Stations program. In its 17 years, the project collected more than 110 thousand tons.
OTHER ADVANCES IN THE UNILEVER SUSTAINABILITY PLAN (USLP)
IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
-39% from the portfolio meets the highest nutritional standards;
– A major redesign is underway across all of our product categories and we have made significant progress in reducing salt, saturated fat, calories and sugar;
– For example, in 70% of the markets where we sell ice cream we now have mini versions. In 2017, we launched the Mini Magnum in India and three Mini Cornetto variants in Brazil.
REDUCTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
– Reduction of 47% in CO2 emissions due to energy consumption in our factories. We reached the target four years ahead of schedule (43% in 2016);
– Reduction of 39% in water consumption per ton of product (37% in 2016);
– Reduction of 98% in waste sent to landfills;
– At the end of 2017, 109 of our factories in 368 countries were using 100% of electricity from renewable sources, accounting for 65% of the company's total electricity consumption. Of Unilever's 12 zero-carbon factories in the world, 2 are Brazilian (Goiânia and Pouso Alegre)
IMPROVING LIVING CONDITIONS
– We believe that female empowerment is the greatest enabler of human development and economic growth. We are building a gender-equitable organization. By the end of 2017, 47% of management positions were held by women, up from 46% in 2016;
– In 2017, we also enabled 1.2 million women around the world to access initiatives aimed at promoting their safety, developing their skills and expanding their opportunities.
– In our progress in creating a more inclusive business, in 2017 we enabled around 716 thousand small farmers to have access to initiatives that aim to improve their agricultural practices or increase their income;
