Plastic waste from oceans and rivers becomes a recycled raw material to be reused in over one million bottles of the "Lovables" detergent brand. This is the aim of the cooperation between Henkel and the non-governmental organisation "Waste Free Oceans".
The co-operation is scheduled to run for three years. Each year, 100 tonnes of recycled material are to be produced as part of the cooperation.
It will start this spring with a collection campaign along the Danube. Volunteers will collect plastic waste at specific locations in Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. These locations were selected on the basis of detailed analyses of river flow data. Special equipment will be used to skim the plastic waste from the surface of the water from the riverbanks.
"Our partnership with Waste Free Oceans is a further step in expanding our commitment to sustainable packaging and recycling," says Prof Dr Thomas Müller-Kirschbaum, Head of Global Research and Development at Henkel's Laundry & Home Care business unit. The detergent brand for which the recycled material is used was launched this year. It is designed to clean laundry particularly gently.
