Surf Excel Matic’s bottle installation aims to reduce plastic wastage

Earlier this month, Hindustan Unilever’s Surf Excel Matic Liquid started a small initiative to collect discarded plastic from different parts of Mumbai. On World Cleanup Day (September 15), the brand unveiled an installation inspired by its communication and packaging, at Carter Road in Bandra, Mumbai.

The installation, which is made from over 3,000 discarded plastic bottles collected for this initiative, will be remain at Carter Road till October 2. According to the brand, it is an attempt to motivate people to do more to create a positive impact on the environment for a cleaner future.

After October 2, the plastic from the installation will be handed over to the local United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) office. The aim of the installation is to reduce plastic wastage. This initiative is an extension of the Clean Future initiative by HUL, under which Surf Excel Matic Liquid has transitioned to the use of 50 per cent recycled plastic in its bottles and 100 per cent biodegradable actives.

Earlier this month, HUL partnered with Banyan Nation to innovate and create bottles that are less dependent on virgin plastic, thereby reducing the net plastic generated. By the end of this year, the brand attempts to cross an annual consumption of 900 tonnes of recycled plastic. HUL is also working on no plastic innovations, like the refill machine set up at a store in Mumbai.

Commenting on this initiative, Prabha Narasimhan, executive director and vice president, home care, HUL, said, “The idea to create our pack from used plastic is a representation of the change we want to bring about. The installation is an attempt to make everyone feel a part of the change and empower them with the feeling that they can take small actions to make a larger impact on the environment. Creating something beautiful out of what we often discard will compel each one of us to do our bit, rethink our choices and create a better world for the future generations.”

Mani Vajipey, CEO and co-founder, Banyan Nation, added, “Usually, there is a lot of scepticism around the safety and quality of products, and packaging made from recycled plastics. What we don’t realise is that the fundamental benefit of plastic is that it can be recycled many times over. The shampoo and detergent bottles that we use in our house, if recycled scientifically, can be made into new bottles again.”

“With Banyan Nation’s conscientious recycling process and HUL’s quality initiatives, we are able to recover, recycle and reproduce the bottles several times, without any compromise in quality. Through our unique partnership, we are beginning to turn an exhaustible and polluting resource like plastic, into a 'renewable' one.”