Words by Smiley Team
In good news for the environment, Unilever is changing its tubs and lids across its entire range of Carte D’Or ice cream from plastic to responsibly sourced, recyclable paper.
The move will see the brand use 93% less plastic per pack – compared to their previous Carte D’Or packaging – and aims to save more than 900 tons of virgin plastic in the UK annually.
The paper they'll be using comes from sustainably-managed forests and controlled sources and is PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) certified. Both tub and lid can be put into the normal household paper recycling stream.
“For over 40 years, Carte D’Or has been committed to crafting delicious desserts made with some of the finest quality ingredients, which we strive to source in a sustainable way,” said Horacio Cal, ice cream marketing director for Unilever in the UK and Ireland.
“Now, we’re proud to have made this move to paper tubs, helping shoppers to reduce their plastic packaging footprint at home.”
The brand launched the new packs at the end of January 2022 – they are currently rolling them out across the country.
"We still need to use some plastic in our packs to ensure our ice cream stays fresh, the taste and quality aren’t affected, and the packs remain durable and sturdy when shoppers take them home," the brand says.
"The plastic we use on the inner layer of our tub and lid does not affect its ability to be recycled at home. We also need to use a plastic seal to ensure the ice cream stays fresh and secure in the pack. At present this seal is non-recyclable, but we have a team of experts working on the transition to a fully recyclable solution."
Carte D’Or’s switch to paper tubs is the latest step towards the Unilever brand's global plastic targets, which include halving the amount of virgin plastic in their packaging and achieving "an absolute reduction of more than 100,000 tonnes in plastic use by 2025".
Find out more about Unilever's commitment to reducing plastic.
