Unilever North America Investment Will Recover More than Half of its Plastic Packaging Footprint

Unilever North America announced today a $15 million investment in Closed Loop Partners’ Leadership Fund to help recycle an estimated 60,000 metric tons of U.S. plastic packaging waste annually by 2025, an amount equivalent to more than half of Unilever’s plastics footprint in North America. The impact of Unilever’s new investment and its continued use of post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic packaging, which is approximately 59,000 metric tons per year, will underpin the delivery of its commitment to collect and process more plastic packaging than it sells by 2025.

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Closed Loop Partners’ Leadership Fund is a private equity fund that acquires and grows companies across the value chain working to increase recycling and keep valuable materials in the circular economy and out of landfills.

“We believe plastics’ place is inside the circular economy where it is reused, and not in the environment,” said Fabian Garcia, President of Unilever North America. “We’re advocating to transform the recycling system for a waste-free world, and we urgently need business investment to help make it happen.”

“Unilever is a pioneer and leader when it comes to recognizing the economic, social and environmental value of embedding circular economy principles throughout their business, critically moving from ambitious commitments and goals to tangible action and progress,” said Ron Gonen, Founder and CEO of Closed Loop Partners. “Unilever’s investment in Closed Loop Partners’ Leadership Fund, in addition to its existing investment in our Infrastructure Fund, will help accelerate the shift toward more circular supply chains by scaling best-in-class circular business models and supporting the technological breakthroughs and sustainable innovations that keep valuable materials continuously cycling in manufacturing supply chains.”

Unilever’s goal to collect and process more plastic packaging than it sells is a part of its ambitious set of "Waste-Free World” commitments. Those global commitments include halving use of virgin plastic; ensuring all of its plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable; and using at least 25 percent recycled plastic in its packaging.

Half of the 118,000 metric tons of plastic packaging used by Unilever North America is PCR plastic. Many of its brands, including Dove, Hellmann’s, and Seventh Generation, already use 100 percent PCR bottles. The investment in Closed Loop Partners’ Leadership Fund will help secure additional PCR plastic supply for Unilever brands and increase access to recycled plastic feedstock processed by the companies the Fund invests in.