Our approach to sustainability is about delivering impact faster with more focused, urgent, and systemic action across our four sustainability priorities: climate, nature, plastics, and livelihoods.
In the U.S., we are working to reduce plastic waste and create a more circular economy, and there is still much to do. We continue to focus our efforts where we believe we can have the most impact on how our packaging is sourced, designed, used, and disposed.
Reducing Virgin Plastic Use
Reducing Virgin Plastic Use
To accelerate progress toward our goals, we’ve firmly embedded packaging sustainability decisions in our commercial planning and in each of our business functions.
We remain focused on reducing our use of virgin plastic in several ways, including designing lighter packaging, switching to alternative materials, and developing innovative packaging formats and models. For example, in 2024, recycled plastic made up approximately 40% of our plastics footprint in North America.
Designing Products for Recyclability
Designing Products for Recyclability
Unilever continues to increase the recyclability of our products and packaging, reaching 57% actual recyclability globally as of 2024.
In the U.S., we launched one of the first recyclable pumps across our Vaseline brand and continue to expand the innovation across other key brands including TRESemmé. Read more about that innovation here.
We also work closely with recycling facilities to improve the recyclability of our products. For example, we invested in the development of a detectable pigment for black plastic packaging. This innovation was created to overcome the limitation of standard recycling machinery, which often cannot "see" traditional black plastic for sorting and recycling. This black pigment is now used across much of our product portfolio.
Advocating for Policy that Promotes a Circular Economy
Advocating for Policy that Promotes a Circular Economy
Across the U.S., we are advocating for well-designed Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation that:
- improves access to recycling
- transforms the current waste management system into a circular economy
- establishes consistent standards for what is collected and recycled
As of 2025, seven states have passed EPR legislation.
Partnering for impact
Partnering for impact
Unilever partners with several U.S. non-profit organizations to help expand access to recycling, enhance collection systems, improve the quality of recycled materials, and influence sustainable design standards.
For example, we are an investor in Closed Loop Partners’ investment funds, and in its affiliated operating company, Circular Services. Our investments across their platform have helped to keep nearly 100,000 tons of materials in circulation in the U.S. in 2025 alone. We are also a member The Recycling Partnership, working to improve local recycling infrastructure across the U.S.
