Unilever has been working on developing a Lifebuoy soap bar sensor as part of its initiative to change consumers’ behavior. It will also enable the company to double its expansion and minimize the ecological footprint of its products. Around 53% of the company’s business depends on growing markets. Hence, sustainability is crucial for its growth.
In 2009, Unilever released its new business vision. The company promised to improve the health of customers and halve the ecological impact of its products by 2029. Its delivery chain serves a major role in achieving this vision. Accomplishing the business vision is a crucial work goal for the company’s chief executive officer and other senior officers like the chief procurement officer. Its research centers, offices, production facilities and brand leadership members are also focusing on realizing the objectives.
Unilever plans to create a major change in people’s behavior using its soap bar sensor. It enables the company to analyze triggers that make people select eco-friendly products, and which awareness activities work. It also enables research teams to develop new product tools to analyze ecological footprint in the innovation phase itself. The research and development team of the company is developing solutions to address major ecological issues.
By the end of last year, around 125 million people have purchased Lifebuoy soap as a result of the hand washing awareness campaigns. Global handwashing day 2010 was organized in 19 nations and it reached 50 institutions. The heart age test online was taken up by around 5.4 million people and a campaign titled, ‘a brush day and night,’ reached around 10 million consumers.
Unilever’s Pureit, in-home water purifier, assures safe drinking water and it can be availed at an affordable cost. It has avoided the requirement of boiling water or buying bottled water. Currently, around 10% of agricultural raw materials are sourced by the company and by 2020 it is likely to reach 100%. Around 20% of its tea is sourced using sustainable methods, enabling 38,000 agriculturists to accomplish certification and enhance their income. Around one-third if its palm oil is obtained by adopting a sustainable approach.
By 2020, Unilever hopes to make half a billion consumers avail safe drinking water, introduce 500,000 smallholders and small-level suppliers into the delivery network, improve cleanliness in the African, Asian and Latin American countries and double the quantity of Unilever food that copes with strict nutritional regulations. Till date, the company has determined the ecological footprint of 1,600 of its offerings, depicting around 70% of its total sales quantity. The sustainable living plan includes 50 goals and the company has joined hands with NGOs, governments, suppliers and consumers to accomplish these goals.
Source: http://www.unilever.com