Duurzaam van etiket tot ijsstokjes
07/04/2015
Als gevolg van nieuw leveranciersbeleid in de strijd tegen ontbossing zal Unilever eind 2015 meer verpakkingsmateriaal uit houtvezels (etiketten, ijsstokjes) betrekken uit duurzame bronnen. (Bericht alleen uitgegeven in het Engels.)
Sustainable from labels to lolly sticks
New Wood Fibre Sourcing Policy aims to accelerate actions to halt deforestation
London/Rotterdam, 7th April 2015 - Unilever, which produces brands such as Magnum, Walls, Dove, and Hellman's, has today announced a new supplier policy as part of the action to halt deforestation. As a result, more Unilever packaging - from labels to wooden ice cream sticks - will be sourced
sustainably by the end of the year. Unilever's target is to ensure that all materials used that contain fibre obtained from wood are traceable from certified and known sources by 2020. In 2014, the volume of sustainably sourced paper and board used increased to 87%, up significantly from 62%
the previous year. Unilever is therefore now bringing forward its commitment to source all paper and board packaging sustainably by the end of 2015.
The new Wood Fibre Sourcing Policy will contribute to Unilever's work to eliminate deforestation from supply chains. It will also help to embed the Unilever Responsible Sourcing Policy, which supports Unilever's commitment to increase its positive social impact throughout the entire supply
chain by improving the lives of workers and their communities.
The move is expected to resonate with consumers. Unilever research across 11 countries has found that three quarters of consumers would be more likely to purchase a product if they knew it was made from sustainably sourced ingredients, and according to Nielsen, millennials are four times as
responsive to sustainability credentials as the over 50s. Globally, consumer spending on responsible consumption products is $400bn.
Pier Luigi Sigismondi, Chief Supply Chain Officer said:
"To meet our ambitious zero deforestation policies and support the move to prosperous and sustainable land use in developing countries, we need to work with all organisations in the value chain, such as our suppliers, NGO's, and governments.
"The business case for doing this is clear. It helps us secure a sustainable supply of commodities into the future, and it is good news for forests and the people that live and depend on them. Action on forests can tackle emissions - at least 4.5 billion tonnes of CO2 a year - while at the
same time increasing food production sustainably and improving livelihoods."
Notes to Editors: Unilever Responsible sourcing policy http://www.unilever.com/images/slp-Unilever-Responsible-Sourcing-Policy-2014_tcm13-388879.pdf(Link opens in a new window)
The last year has seen renewed momentum on climate and forest issues, in particular due to a number of deforestation-free supply chain commitments from major players in the palm oil industry, supported and encouraged by producers, traders and consumer goods companies. This culminated in the
New York Declaration on Forests, launched at the UN Climate Summit in September 2014. Its pledge to halve deforestation by 2020, end it by 2030 and restore 350 million hectares of degraded forest (an area roughly the size of India) was endorsed by over 175 entities: countries, states,
provinces, companies, indigenous leaders and NGOs - giving this important subject global attention and momentum.
FSC - The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo on a wood or wood based product is your assurance that it is made with, or contains, wood that comes from FSC certified forests or from post-consumer waste. Read more: http://www.fsc-uk.org/fsc-labels.139.htm(Link opens in a new window)
PEFC - The PEFC logo and labels are globally trusted registered trademarks which assist businesses, consumers, forest owners and managers, and other stakeholders to identify and promote merchandise and goods from sustainably-managed forests. Read more:
http://www.pefc.org/standards/logo-use(Link opens in a new window)
Media Enquiries:
Please contact the Unilever Press Office at press-office.london@unilever.com or mediarelations.rotterdam@unilever.com
About Unilever:
Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Food, Home and Personal Care products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2 billion consumers a day. It has 172,000 employees and generated sales of EUR48.4 billion in 2014. Over half of the company's footprint is in developing and
emerging markets (57% in 2014). With more than 400 brands found in homes around the world, its portfolio includes Persil, Dove, Knorr, Domestos, Hellmann's, Lipton, Wall's, PG Tips, Ben & Jerry's, Marmite, Magnum and Lynx.
Unilever's Sustainable Living Plan (USLP) commits to:
* Helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being
* Decoupling growth from environmental impact
* And enhancing the livelihoods of millions of people by 2020
Unilever was ranked number one in its sector in the 2014 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. In the FTSE4Good Index Series, it attained a top environmental score of 5. It led the list of Global Corporate Sustainability Leaders in the GlobeScan/SustainAbility annual survey for the fourth year
running.
In 2014 Unilever was also named in LinkedIn's Top 3 most sought-after employers across all sectors. For more information about Unilever and its brands, please visit www.unilever.com(Link opens in a new window). For more information on the USLP: www.unilever.com/sustainable-living(Link opens in
a new window)
Unilever NV
Media Relations
Weena 455
3013 AL Rotterdam
+31 (0) 10 217 4844 (Na 17.30 uur: +31 (0) 10 217 4000)
mediarelations.rotterdam@unilever.com