Announced at the Reuters Responsible Business Summit today (22 October), the “good refill system” utilises reusable aluminium bottles as well as recyclable refill pouches, which are made using 60% less plastic per millilitre than the standard brand bottle.
The initiative is set to hit shelves across Europe next year, and will enable an estimated 200 million households to recycle and reuse their packaging.
“We need to start turning the tide on the plastic waste crisis and there is no time to waste when it comes to protecting our planet,” Artur Litarowicz, senior vice-president and general manager of haircare for P&G Europe, said.
Litarowicz continued: “We know this is just the start. There is so much more to do, and I am passionate about P&G Beauty being a force for good across Europe as we step towards achieving our 2030 Responsible Beauty goals at pace.”
This comes as part of P&G Beauty’s target of reducing its use of virgin plastics by 50% across shampoo and conditioner bottles by the end of 2021, which the brand hopes will result in 300 million fewer virgin plastic bottles being produced yearly.
Virginie Helias, chief sustainability officer at P&G, said: “We have committed to enable and inspire responsible consumption through innovation on our product and packaging.
“Our leading beauty brands in Europe touch millions of lives. This new packaging innovation will contribute to making the re-use of packaging irresistible, while enabling a reduction of virgin plastic as per P&G’s Ambition 2030 commitment.
Helias continued: “It’s no longer about if or what we can do, but how quickly we can do it – the window is now for embracing new sustainable lifestyles.”
In July, P&G announced a commitment to become carbon neutral this decade, in partnership with Conservation International and the WWF.
Tom Szaky, head of plastic waste and business at WWF, added: “I’ve long been a believer that a refill behaviour is a big part of the future of sustainable packaging and the innovation announced by P&G Beauty today is a positive step in the right direction for the many millions of households that Head & Shoulders, Pantene, Herbal Essences and Aussie serve.
“While there is, of course, more to be done, it’s great to see large companies such as P&G Beauty taking the issue seriously and using their scale to drive change quickly and impactfully.”