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Independent green cleaning company Bio-D has reached a target to use waste plastic in the majority of its packaging years ahead of schedule.
The Hull business agreed to use at least 75 per cent recycled content by 2025 when it signed up to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Global Commitment on plastic in October last year.
As part of the commitment, businesses across the world pledged to use an average of 25 per cent recycled content in their plastic packaging by 2025. However, Bio-D set its own higher target of 75 per cent and it has reached this already by switching packaging on everything from spray bottles to small refill containers.
A total of 84 per cent of its bottles are now created from recycled waste made from waste plastic collected in the UK. The recycled packaging can then be used, refilled or recycled once again as part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s vision to keep plastics in the economy and out of the environment.
The achievement has been reached ahead of a special week of live programmes from the ground breaking Blue Planet series, which brought worldwide attention to the damage plastic is having on our oceans. From Sunday, 24 March, marine life great and small will be celebrated in broadcasts from USA, The Bahamas and Australia.
Lloyd Atkin, Managing Director of Bio-D, said: “Shocking images of waste in our oceans shown by Blue Planet and programmes like it have really highlighted the scale of the plastic problem facing our planet and this has helped drive demand for change from the public.
“As an ethical business which has been working to offer consumers a naturally-derived alternative to regular cleaning products since 1989, it’s always been our ethos to create products that are safe for both the environment and user and that goes so much further than just the ingredients that go into them.
“Alongside our promise to only use ethically sourced ingredients which are vegan friendly, cruelty-free and have full traceability, the majority of our packaging is now made from plastic waste which might otherwise have gone to landfill.
“We believe we are setting an example to other businesses which is why we not only signed up to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s commitment, but also set ourselves much tougher targets which we have now exceeded. The question we have for other companies is if we can do it, why can’t they?”
Bio-D joined major companies from around the world, including Carrefour, Colgate Palmolive, Danone, and The Coca-Cola Company in signing-up to the foundation’s commitment, launched in collaboration with UN Environment.
Together, they represent more than 20 per cent of all plastic packaging used globally, however, Bio-D’s aim to go further than the 25 per cent recycled content target and achieve this earlier than others has set it apart as a leader for change.
Bio-D was highlighted in the foundation’s spring 2019 report as one of a handful of signatories agreeing to go further than the one quarter target, with only three companies, including luxury Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen, aiming higher.
Bio-D is now working on its next target to move 100 per cent of the bottled Bio-D range into packaging made from waste plastic by the end of next year – five years ahead of the foundation’s 2025 deadline.
