The high-performance washing capsule that reduces waste

When it comes to doing the laundry, capsules are the format that are seeing the most rapid growth in the majority of industrialised countries. Now, our most popular laundry brand, Dirt Is Good (DIG, which is also known as Persil, Skip, and OMO), is introducing a capsule that is intended to remove difficult stains while simultaneously contributing far less to the production of carbon emissions and the accumulation of plastic trash.

The capsules have undergone a reformulation and been optimised for use in short, low-temperature (20°C or lower), cold-water washing cycles. A move that reduces the manufacturing of greenhouse gas emissions by 16%, and will help consumers save up to 60% of the energy per use at home, in addition to the equivalent greenhouse gas emissions associated with the use of the product, all without compromising the top cleaning performance of Dirt Is Good.

The re-engineered capsules contain potent biodegradable active ingredients, of which 65 percent are derived from plant sources, building on Unilever’s Clean Future strategy, through which we are investing one billion euros over ten years to change the way our cleaning products are developed, manufactured, and packaged. In addition, the re-engineered capsules are part of Unilever’s Clean Future strategy. Additionally, the packaging is more sustainable for the environment.

DIG’s capsules will be offered for the first time ever in a cardboard box that is completely recyclable and does not include any plastic. This change is expected to save around 6,000 tonnes of plastic per year, which is the weight of approximately 500 double-decker buses.

In keeping with our goals to minimise the amount of plastic packaging and develop a supply chain free of deforestation, half of the cardboard comes from recycled sources, while the other half comes from Forest Stewardship Council-certified forests3. The revolutionary container, which was developed in collaboration with Graphic Packaging International, is meant to be even more successful at preventing moisture absorption than the plastic packaging that is currently in use in order to stop capsules from being adhered to one another.

 It is also simpler to open and shut, in addition to being completely child-safe and recyclable in its whole. The new capsules will be introduced to the market for the first time in France as part of the worldwide roll-out that will soon extend to all of the other brands in the line.