Magnum to roll out recycled plastic ice cream tubs globally

Ice cream brand Magnum is set to introduce plastic tubs consisting of recycled plastic across all its markets, a move that will see an estimated 160,000kg of certified recycled material used by the end of 2020 across Europe.


Magnum to roll out recycled plastic ice cream tubs globally

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Magnum, which is owned by Unilever, is set to introduce recycled plastic across more than seven million ice cream tubs. Unilever debuted Magnum ice-cream tub made using 25% post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic content last year in a trial across Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands.

Following the success of the trial, Magnum will roll out the tubs across Europe by the end of the year and globally from 2021.

By the end of 2020, Magnum will use an estimated 160,000kg of certified recycled plastic material. Magnum will use SABIC’s certified circular polypropylene.

“We are proud to be the world’s first ice cream brand to pioneer this ground-breaking technology,” Global Magnum vice president Julien Barraux said. “Through this new approach, we hope to lead the food and refreshment industry towards a more sustainable future, paving the way to a circular economy.”

The announcement builds on Unilever’s commitment to halve its use of virgin plastic by 2025. Unilever, which owns brands such as Dove, Ben & Jerry’s and Litpon, is currently on track to achieve existing plastics commitments to ensure all the plastic packaging it uses is reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. The company will also use at least 25% recycled plastics in its packaging in the same timeframe.

As well as reducing the overall use of plastic packaging by more than 100,000 tonnes by 2025, Unilever will also help collect and process around 600,000 tonnes of plastic annually as part of a bid to recover and process more plastic packaging than it sells.

edie has examined Unilever’s plastics strategy – a three-pillar approach to improving the recyclability of its product packaging, focusing on “less”, “better” and “no plastics” solutions – in depth. Click here to find out more.


Single-use plastics: The 2020 roadmap for sustainable business

It’s been one of the biggest sustainable business issues of the past decade: tackling the scourge of single-use plastics. In 2018-19, the so-called “Attenborough effect” gave this issue the mainstream attention it deserved, and thousands of businesses duly began to ramp up their efforts to eliminate single- use plastics from their operations and the supply chain.

As we embark upon the next decade, what’s changed? Is the momentum continuing? Are businesses turning single-use plastic ambitions into action? What political, organisational and infrastructural challenges remain? And – crucially – how can sustainability and CSR professionals collaborate and innovate their way towards an economy free of single-use plastics? 

This insight report, inspired by edie’s Mission Possible Plastics Hub and sponsored by Nestle, provides a much-needed progress update on the UK’s transition away from single-use plastics; and acts as a definitive guide for businesses looking to eliminate single-use plastics waste through reduction, redesign and phase-out of the material – in a way that doesn’t lead to any unintended consequences.

Download the report here.

Matt Mace

Comments (1)

  1. Ian Byrne says:

    25% post-consumer recycled plastic is not "recycled plastic ice cream tubs". And unless there’s a mechanism to recycle the Magnum tubs – after their use, this isn’t much better than single use plastic. I’m not familiar with the product, so can’t tell if that’s a large pot of ice-cream (which I presume it is) which could then enter a domestic recycling stream., or a single portion one (which is unlikely to do so).

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