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Plastic

#ECOVER

FIGHTING OUR THROW-AWAY CULTURE

Ecover was born from seeing first-hand the devastating effect that phosphates from laundry and dishwashing products were having on aquatic life.

Now we’ve got an arguably bigger challenge on our hands – facing up to the world’s over-reliance on single-use plastic.

In 2016, less than half of all plastic bottles were collected for recycling and only 7% of those were turned into new bottles [Source: The Guardian, A million bottles a minute: world’s plastic binge ‘as dangerous as climate change’, June 2017]. The resulting impact on waterways and marine life is, to put it bluntly, horrifying – with an estimated 12.7 million tonnes ending up in oceans each year.

RETHINKING PLASTIC

We want to be a role model to show the way forward for manufacturers like us to use better, more sustainable types of plastic and reduce our ‘plastic footprint’. To do this, we need to work out how to ‘close the loop’ by recovering and reusing as much packaging as possible and not let it go to waste. And we’re stepping up our efforts to find new biodegradable materials so we can move away from plastic altogether.

OUR PLASTIC JOURNEY

We’re on a journey towards closing the loop. You can select the different parts of the loop to read a little more about how we’re doing it.

REUSE & REFILL
minimising the use of plastic in the home
RECYCLE
designing to be 100% recyclable
RECOVER
turning ocean plastic waste into a valuable resource
RECONNECT
pioneering ocean friendly packaging
RENEW
using recycled content only - no virgin plastic
REDUCE
moving from less to zero plastic solutions
REUSE & REFILL

Since 1989, we’ve been encouraging people to reuse their containers and buy refill cartons rather than buying new plastic each time they run out. Our bottles can now be used more than 50 times, and refillable from many health food stores using our 15 litre refill carton. In 2016 we sold over 1.5m litres of Ecover refills across Europe and we are aiming to sell 10% more each year by making them easier to use and more widely available with our retailers.

    • RECYCLE

    We want to make it as easy as possible to recycle our bottles. Ever wondered why we do not use bright colours in our bottles? It’s not that we’re boring, it’s because transparent or white plastic is easier to recycle than the fancy coloured stuff (which can be difficult to re-dye to another colour).

    • RECOVER

    We’ve been using recycled materials since 2007 when we began using fully recycled cardboard for our paper packaging. Then in 2014 we started making most of our bottles from a mix of 25% recycled plastic and 75% PlantPlastic. Since launching our Ocean Bottle project in 2014, we’ve also reclaimed more than 11 tonnes of plastic from oceans, beaches, canals and waterways, raising awareness about the environmental consequences of plastic pollution. And this year, we’re taking an even bigger step, with the launch of our first 100% recycled plastic bottle from post-consumer waste (called PCR).

    • RECONNECT

    When it comes to taking a stand on the big issues, we’re not shy about acting on our instincts. In 2014, our first limited edition Ocean Washing Up Liquid Bottle was made from 10% plastic collected by North Sea fishermen, and 90% recycled plastic (PCR). In 2017, we launched a new bottle made from 50% plastic waste collected from the beaches, shores and ocean of Rio, and 50% recycled plastic (PCR).

    • RENEW

    In 2011, we launched our first 100% recyclable, reusable plastic bottle made from renewable sugarcane and not petroleum. We call this PlantPlastic – an innovative type of plastic that reduces the bottle’s carbon footprint by about 70% compared to virgin petroleum-based plastic, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. Now most of our bottles use 75% PlantPlastic and 25% recycled plastic. All of the sugarcane we use to make our PlantPlastic is certified through Bonsucro, ensuring that the sugarcane was harvested responsibly.

    • REDUCE

    We are always reassessing how we can improve our packaging and reduce the amount of materials we use. For our Ocean Washing Up Liquid Bottle, we worked with a biomimicry expert to reduce the amount of plastic used compared to the same bottle without the biomimicry design. This resulted in a distinctive design inspired by the lightweight yet robust skeletal structure found in many ocean micro-organisms.

    • REUSE & REFILL

    Since 1989, we’ve been encouraging people to reuse their containers and buy refill cartons rather than buying new plastic each time they run out. Our bottles can now be used more than 50 times, and refillable from many health food stores using our 15 litre refill carton. In 2016 we sold over 1.5m litres of Ecover refills across Europe and we are aiming to sell 10% more each year by making them easier to use and more widely available with our retailers.

    • RECYCLE

    We want to make it as easy as possible to recycle our bottles. Ever wondered why we do not use bright colours in our bottles? It’s not that we’re boring, it’s because transparent or white plastic is easier to recycle than the fancy coloured stuff (which can be difficult to re-dye to another colour).

    • RECOVER

    We’ve been using recycled materials since 2007 when we began using fully recycled cardboard for our paper packaging. Then in 2014 we started making most of our bottles from a mix of 25% recycled plastic and 75% PlantPlastic. Since launching our Ocean Bottle project in 2014, we’ve also reclaimed more than 11 tonnes of plastic from oceans, beaches, canals and waterways, raising awareness about the environmental consequences of plastic pollution. And this year, we’re taking an even bigger step, with the launch of our first 100% recycled plastic bottle from post-consumer waste (called PCR).

    • RECONNECT

    When it comes to taking a stand on the big issues, we’re not shy about acting on our instincts. In 2014, our first limited edition Ocean Washing Up Liquid Bottle was made from 10% plastic collected by North Sea fishermen, and 90% recycled plastic (PCR). In 2017, we launched a new bottle made from 50% plastic waste collected from the beaches, shores and ocean of Rio, and 50% recycled plastic (PCR).

    • RENEW

    In 2011, we launched our first 100% recyclable, reusable plastic bottle made from renewable sugarcane and not petroleum. We call this PlantPlastic – an innovative type of plastic that reduces the bottle’s carbon footprint by about 70% compared to virgin petroleum-based plastic, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. Now most of our bottles use 75% PlantPlastic and 25% recycled plastic. All of the sugarcane we use to make our PlantPlastic is certified through Bonsucro, ensuring that the sugarcane was harvested responsibly.

    • REDUCE

    We are always reassessing how we can improve our packaging and reduce the amount of materials we use. For our Ocean Washing Up Liquid Bottle, we worked with a biomimicry expert to reduce the amount of plastic used compared to the same bottle without the biomimicry design. This resulted in a distinctive design inspired by the lightweight yet robust skeletal structure found in many ocean micro-organisms.

    • “ECOVER NEEDS TO TOTALLY RETHINK PLASTIC. TODAY WE ARE MAKING PUBLIC OUR LONG-TERM AMBITION TO STOP USING VIRGIN PLASTIC. IT MAY TAKE US SEVERAL YEARS, BUT IT IS AN IMPORTANT GOAL FOR US AND THE PLANET.”

    TURNING WASTE INTO THE MATERIALS OF TOMORROW 

    Ecover Podcast

    Imagine a world where yesterday’s food scraps, old packaging, or even the air we breathe could become tomorrow’s trainers, shampoo bottles, or even car parts. It may sound like science fiction, but thanks to innovations, it’s quickly becoming science reality.  This process—called waste valorisation—is all about taking things we’d normally throw away, like food waste, […]

    Find out more

    HOW BIOMIMICRY INSPIRES SUSTAINABLE DESIGN 

    Ecover Podcast

    When it comes to innovation, nobody does it better than nature. After all, it’s had 3.8 billion years of research and development . From the way leaves turn sunlight into energy to how bees build perfectly efficient hives, nature holds the answers to many of our design challenges. Enter biomimicry—the art and science of learning […]

    Find out more

    BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN VISION AND REALITY

    Ecover Podcast

    When it comes to sustainable materials, the possibilities seem endless. From biobased plastics to biodegradable packaging, there’s no shortage of innovation promising to reduce our environmental footprint. But here’s the catch: turning these solutions into widespread realities isn’t as simple as it sounds. Let’s explore some of the biggest challenges standing in the way and […]

    Find out more

    RECYCLED PLASTIC IN OUR CAPS

    We trialed 50% recycled polypropylene plastic caps on our washing bottles in the hope to kickstart more demand for recycled polypropylene – the strong, flexible plastic that’s used on most bottle caps.

    WHAT WE BELIEVE IN

    So that’s PLASTIC.

    When we say we live and breathe clean, we mean it. From the way we do business to how we source our ingredients to out war on ocean plastic – it’s all about finding new ways to put our values into practice. Even if it’s going to take a while to get there.

    Find out more about what we’re doing…

    Plastic

    We’re waging war on single-use plastic. And we’re aiming to make all our bottles from recycled plastic.

    Manufacturing

    First we built the world’s most ecologically sound factory. Next stop: a zero-waste, zero-carbon footprint.

    Sourcing

    We’re making our supply chain more responsible. Buying local when we can and using suppliers with shared values.

    Fragrances

    We use fragrances that are designed to smell natural, fresh and wonderful – not overpower you with toxic chemicals.

    Design

    We believe that packaging design can have a positive impact on people and the planet.

    Ingredients

    Most of our ingredients are made of biodegradable substances.