Greenpeace Mauls Unilever’s Dove Over Terrifying Use Of Plastics

It might market itself as the unifying brand for women, however, Greenpeace is having none of beauty brand Dove’s claims, calling out its plastic pollution in a new campaign.

According to the environmental watchdog, the Unilever-owned brand has been fuelling a human and environmental crisis by pumping huge volumes of toxic single use plastic out into the world.

In a statement, Greenpeace said: “Dove are fully aware of the alternatives to single-use plastic. Yet, the harmful production continues. Every year, they’re pumping out 6.4 billion of the worst offenders, sachets – small, single use plastic packaging – onto communities in the global south. That’s 12,000 every minute! These tiny plastic sachets are nearly impossible to collect and even harder to recycle.”

The campaign resulted in Greenpeace installing an oversized Dove bottle out the front of the Unilever World Headquarters in London.

Photo courtesy of Greenpeace

The reinvented bottle switches out the brand’s iconic blue and white bird logo for a dramatic, black and white bird lying deceased, alongside a “Real Harm” strapline in the place of “Real Beauty”.

Unilever bosses have not yet publicly responded to Greenpeace’s guerrilla campaign.

Photo courtesy of Greenpeace

Greenpeace claim that Dove’s single use plastic is relentlessly polluting communities in countries like India, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Dove’s plastic waste is choking rivers and oceans, and when burnt, is leaching toxic chemicals into the air. Greenpeace activists in the Philippines have seen with their own eyes the devastating damage of Dove’s toxic plastic waste. They’ve seen plastic packaging from Dove, and their owners Unilever, jamming local waste systems, polluting neighbourhoods and waterways.

Photo courtesy of Greenpeace

From India to Indonesia, Thailand to the Philippines – it’s many of the same young girls and women who Dove claim to champion who are left to deal with waste’s harmful effects.

According to Greenpeace’s data, Dove’s parent company, Unilever, claims to want a “waste-free” world, yet just 0.2 per cent of its packaging is reusable.

Greenpeace said of the campaign: “Right now countries across the world are coming together to negotiate a UN Global Plastics Treaty. This is a once-in-a-generation chance to turn the tide and finally end the age of plastic.

“Dove’s owner Unilever has huge influence over the Treaty. They can lead the change by phasing out their own single use plastic and pushing for that same ambition in the Treaty. But they continue to promote a throwaway single-use model where corporate profits outweigh the human and environmental cost to our communities.

“We’re not here to shame Dove or its consumers. We’re here to challenge a brand to live up to its proclaimed values. We’re here to empower those who have been let down and those who have been directly impacted by Dove’s plastic waste.”

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