HUL readying new detergent-making tech in green drive
HUL — India's biggest consumer goods firm — is piloting a new technology to manufacture key raw materials of detergents, soda ash and silicate, which will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For its parent Unilever, India will also be the first market for the initiative of having near zero soda ash through green ammonia by partnering with suppliers and vendors for its sustainability agenda.
«This is not green for the sake of being green. At the heart of it is we take consumer pain points, and we need products that are superior, affordable, and sustainable.
We have some amazing examples where it is possible to reduce emissions and improve performance...,» said Deepak Subramanian, executive director, home care, at HUL.
The company is the market leader with over 43% of India's laundry market with brands such as Surf, Rin, and Wheel. HUL's home care business in India is the biggest for Unilever globally with annual sales of ₹21,230 crore. «This is a category where performance matters and we are very clear that if that drops in our hunt for sustainable products, then consumers will penalise us for it,» added Subramanian.
Last fiscal, HUL decarbonised operations with 97% reduction in CO2 emissions per ton of production against the 2008 baseline.
It has been plastic neutral from 2021. About 95% of its paper and board in packaging, 82% of tomatoes and 69% of tea came from sustainable sources. It also delivered a combined water potential of over 2.6 trillion litres.
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