Since Unilever’s brand Walls entered the Chinese market, its Magnum ice cream and other products have consistently been loved by consumers. Beyond flavor updates, Magnum’s parent company, Unilever, has actively implemented the “plastic reduction” concept in its packaging, continually meeting the diverse green consumption demands of customers. Recently, Unilever won the Silver Award at the IPIF International Packaging Innovation Conference and the CPiS 2023 Lion Award at the 14th China Packaging Innovation and Sustainable Development Forum (CPiS 2023) for its creative packaging innovation and plastic reduction efforts that contribute to environmental protection.
Unilever Ice Cream Packaging Wins Two Packaging Innovation Awards
Since 2017, Unilever, the parent company of Walls, has been transforming its plastic packaging approach with a focus on “reduce, optimize, and eliminate plastic” to achieve sustainable development and plastic recycling. This strategy has yielded significant results, including the design innovation of ice cream packaging that has converted most products under the Magnum, Cornetto, and Walls brands to paper-based structures. Adicionalmente, Magnum has adopted recycled materials as padding in transport boxes, reducing the use of over 35 tons of virgin plastic.
Reducing Plastic at the Source
Ice cream products require low-temperature environments during transportation and storage, making condensation a common issue. Traditional paper packaging can become damp and soften, affecting product appearance, which necessitates high water resistance and cold resistance in ice cream packaging. The prevalent method in the market is to use laminated paper, which ensures good waterproof performance but complicates recycling and increases plastic use.
Unilever and upstream supply partners developed a non-laminated outer box suitable for ice cream cold chain transportation. The main challenge was ensuring the outer box’s water resistance and appearance. Conventional laminated packaging, thanks to the plastic film, prevents condensation from penetrating the paper fibers, thus preserving physical properties and enhancing visual appeal. The non-laminated packaging, no entanto, had to meet Unilever’s water resistance standards while maintaining print quality and appearance. After multiple rounds of extensive testing, including actual use comparisons in display freezers, Unilever successfully validated the hydrophobic varnish and paper materials for this non-laminated packaging.
Mini Cornetto Uses Hydrophobic Varnish to Replace Lamination
Promoting Recycling and Sustainable Development
Due to the special nature of Magnum ice cream (wrapped in chocolate coating), its packaging must offer high protection. Previously, EPE (expandable polyethylene) padding was used at the bottom of outer boxes. This material was traditionally made from virgin plastic, increasing environmental plastic waste. Transitioning EPE padding from virgin to recycled plastic required multiple rounds of testing to ensure the recycled material met protective performance requirements during logistics. Adicionalmente, controlling the recycled material’s quality was crucial, requiring stringent oversight of upstream raw materials and production processes. Unilever and suppliers conducted several discussions and optimizations to ensure the proper use of recycled materials, resulting in a successful reduction of about 35 tons of virgin plastic.
These achievements align with Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan (USLP), which focuses on “less plastic, better plastic, and no plastic” goals. Walls is exploring further plastic reduction directions, such as using paper packaging films instead of plastic and adopting other easily recyclable single materials.
Looking back on the years since Walls entered China, the company has consistently innovated to cater to local tastes with products like Magnum ice cream. In alignment with China’s ongoing green and low-carbon transformation strategy, Walls has accelerated its digital transformation while continuing to implement sustainable development strategies. The recent recognition with two packaging innovation awards is a testament to its green development achievements.
