Vaseline has integrated a new recyclable pump into its Intensive Care lotions in the US and Canada.
According to How2Recycle's assessment, Vaseline’s new pump in its Vaseline Intensive Care packaging is widely recyclable in the US and Canada.
Since 2018, Vaseline has redesigned its packaging and increased its use of recycled content, avoiding virgin plastic equivalent to approximately 11 million plastic lotion bottles.
Unilever has aimed to ensure that 100 percent of its rigid plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2030.
Traditionally, pumps contain an internal metal spring encased within the plastic, making them hard to recycle because recycling facilities must separate the materials before processing them.
Vaseline has worked extensively with its supplier to develop a new pump without a metal spring. It is widely recyclable in over half of the US and Canadian recycling facilities. The packaging has continued to deliver a quality consumer experience while supporting Unilever’s sustainability goals.
“Unilever’s long-term ambition is to end plastic pollution through reduction, circulation and collaboration,” said Kristina Friedman, Head of Sustainability at Unilever North America.
“We continue to implement bold innovations across our brands and markets that help to advance the delivery of our sustainability goals. Vaseline's design of its pumps for recycling is another step in the right direction.”
Vaseline is the latest of several Unilever Beauty and Wellbeing brands, including Dermalogica, REN, and Garancia, to incorporate recyclable pumps into its product portfolio.
For its Home Care brands, such as Cif, Vim, Viss, Domestos, Lifebuoy, and Lysoform, it has continued to roll out recyclable mono-material triggers for spray products.
In addition to improving the recyclability of its packaging, Vaseline has reduced its use of virgin plastic. The brand has introduced 50 percent recycled plastic (post-consumer resin or ‘PCR’) into all the North America Vaseline Intensive Care lotion bottles, avoiding the need for over 500 metric tons of virgin plastic since 2018.
By reducing the amount of plastic in its bottles and making its packaging lighter, the brand has also removed more than 130 metric tons of plastic. These two processes have eliminated approximately 11 million 20.3oz plastic lotion bottles from the market.
In North America, collaborations with The Recycling Partnership, the US and Canada Plastics Pacts, and investments in Closed Loop Partners support the ongoing development of local waste management infrastructure.
Globally, Unilever has also advocated for policies like Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which can help hold businesses accountable for their packaging choices and boost recycling systems.
Well-designed EPR schemes can drive up recycling rates and the supply of recycled plastic by ensuring that money is invested back into waste management and packaging innovation.
Unilever co-chairs the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, which addresses plastic's full lifecycle and sets global rules on priorities like EPR, product design, restrictions, and phase-outs.
“Global rules in these areas will help to harmonise regulatory standards and policies across markets and accelerate the voluntary work already being done by the industry.”
