Unilever ice cream brand, Solero, has been launched in a wrapper-less multipack which uses 35% less plastic compared to the original pack.
The new box – which can be “widely recycled” in the UK – has built-in compartments, enabling the individual ice creams to be packaged without a plastic wrapper. The specially designed PE (polyethylene) coated cardboard design ensures the taste and quality of the ice creams are not compromised by the plastic deduction.
The wrapper-less ice-cream multipack for Solero’s Organic Peach range is being trialed exclusively with online grocery retailer, Ocado. A limited number of products are available to test the new packaging and gather consumer feedback.
“The Solero ‘no wrapper’ multipack is made from PE coated cardboard. The packaging has been approved by the OPRL (The On-Pack Recycling Label) to carry the widely recycled logo.
It is 95% carton box with a 5% thin layer of plastic PE coating on the inside. PE-lined products with this low percentage can be widely recycled in the UK,” Noel Clarke, VP of Refreshment at Unilever, told PackagingInsights.
The Solero’s Organic Peach box has built-in compartments, enabling the individual ice creams to be packaged without a plastic wrapper.
“We have also made sure that the pack is leak resistant to account for when ice creams are at risk from melting in the hot weather. Your ice creams won’t melt any faster without their jackets, but make sure to get them back to the freezer before they melt, as you would do with most ice cream,” he added.
If the trial proves successful, it could influence plastic reduction schemes across Unilever’s ice cream range in the long-term.
This trial is the latest innovation in brand owner Unilever’s #GetPlasticWise initiative which aims to rethink plastic in the UK. The plan sees Unilever working collaboratively with partners to seek out solutions plus support and educate consumers on how they can reduce plastic consumption.
Earlier this year, Unilever launched its #GetPlasticWise campaign, which is a holistic approach to rethinking plastic. This launch reflects the FMCG’s commitment to ensure that, globally, all of its plastic packaging is fully reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025, and to use more recycled plastic content in its packaging.
Unilever is a founding member of 2018 The UK Plastics Pact, an initiative led by WRAP to transform the plastic packaging system in the UK. Unilever supported WRAP and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in the development of ambitious 2025 targets including:
- Eliminating problematic or unnecessary single-use plastic packaging
- 100% of plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable
- 70% of plastic packaging effectively recycled or composted
- 30% average recycled content across all plastic packaging.
Also as a part of its sustainability commitment, Unilever has joined the On-Pack Recycling Lapel (ORPL) scheme, which is a movement to provide simple and consistent recycling guidance across products sold in the UK….
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