Greenpeace UK activists took a stand against Unilever’s use of single-use plastics by blocking access to the company’s headquarters in central London. The environmental campaign group locked themselves onto barricades made from giant Dove products, rebranding them with logos of dead doves to highlight the impact of plastic pollution on the planet.
Greenpeace is urging Unilever to eliminate single-use plastics from its operations and fully phase them out within the next decade, starting with plastic sachets that are difficult to recycle. Will McCallum, co-executive director at Greenpeace UK, emphasized the need for Unilever to take responsibility for its plastic pollution, stating that the company must stop selling plastic sachets immediately and advocate for ambitious plastic reduction goals at the upcoming UN Global Plastics Treaty negotiations.
A report by Greenpeace International revealed that Unilever is one of the largest corporate sellers of polluting plastic sachets, selling 1,700 every second in 2023. The activists involved in the protest have vowed to block the entrances to Unilever’s headquarters for the entire day to bring attention to the issue of plastic pollution.
In response to the protest, a spokesperson for Unilever emphasized the company’s commitment to reducing plastic waste through measures such as increasing the use of recycled plastic and developing alternatives to hard-to-recycle packaging. Unilever is calling for a UN treaty on plastic pollution that would establish global regulations and address the full lifecycle of plastic to combat the environmental impact of plastic waste.
The protest by Greenpeace UK highlights the growing demand for corporate responsibility in addressing plastic pollution and the urgent need for systemic change to reduce the environmental impact of single-use plastics. Max Friend, a reporter with PA, covered the protest and emphasized the importance of holding companies like Unilever accountable for their contributions to plastic pollution.
