Greenpeace condemns Dove for single-use plastic waste

According to Greenpeace, the company is fully aware of the alternatives to single-use plastic yet continues to produce environmentally harmful packaging.

Claire Jenns July 23 2024

Environmental non-profit organisation Greenpeace has criticised personal care brand Dove for “fuelling a human and environmental crisis by pumping huge volumes of toxic single-use plastic out into the world.”

According to Greenpeace, Dove produces 6.4bn single-use sachets annually - 12,000 per minute. The sachets are difficult to collect and recycle.

Dove is owned by consumer goods giant Unilever, on which Greenpeace published a report in late 2023: "UNCOVERED: Unilever’s complicity in the plastics crisis and its power to solve it".

Its research found that Unilever is set to miss its target of using less than 50% virgin plastic by almost a decade.

Greenpeace adds that Unilever “claims to want a ‘waste-free’ world, yet just 0.2% of its packaging is reusable.” Dove began using 100% recycled plastic bottles across its brand portfolio in 2019.

The non-profit emphasises that recycling is not the sole answer to the global waste crisis and points to the imminent Global Plastics Treaty as a point of hope.

Greenpeace asserts that Unilever has “huge influence” over the treaty and could push for an end to single-use plastic, but “continues to promote a throwaway single-use model where corporate profits outweigh the human and environmental cost to our communities.”

Alongside challenging Unilever to address its plastic usage, Greenpeace is calling for signatories on a pledge to boycott Dove products, called "It’s Time to Ditch Dove".

Uncover your next opportunity with expert reports

Steer your business strategy with key data and insights from our latest market research reports and company profiles. Not ready to buy? Start small by downloading a sample report first.

Newsletters by sectors

close

Sign up to the newsletter: In Brief

Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Thank you for subscribing

View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network.

close