Packaging-free summer? Solero trials wrapper-less multipack

As summer beckons Unilever has debuted its latest packaging innovation, which promises to cut plastic packaging for one of its leading ice cream brands by over a third.

The consumer goods giant this week announced the launch of its first wrapper-less ice-cream multipack for Solero Organic Peach, which cuts plastic waste by 35 per cent by removing the need for individual plastic wrappers.

The new box has built-in compartments so individual ice creams can be inserted without a plastic wrapper. The box itself is made from a specially designed Polyethylene coated cardboard, which can be widely recycled in the UK.

The wrapper-less ice-cream multipack for Solero's Organic Peach range is being trialled exclusively with Ocado, with Unilever providing a limited number of products as it seeks to test the packaging and gather consumer response.

"As we head towards summer, we've listened to our customers and are working hard to rethink plastic packaging for our ice cream ranges," said Noel Clarke, vice president of refreshment at Unilever. "We're delighted to be trialling this wrapper-less Solero multipack with Ocado in the UK. If successful and the feedback from customers is positive, this innovative pack could reduce the amount of plastic we use in the future to package our ice creams."

The company said the new packaging innovation was part of its wider #GetPlasticWise campaign as well as its overarching Sustainable Living strategy, which aims to enhance the sustainability of all its brands.

Launched earlier this year the Solero Organic Peach product is certified organic and is suitable for vegan and vegetarian diets.

The new packaging was welcomed by Helen Bird, strategic engagement manager at WRAP, who said the waste charity was "really impressed with the level of innovation and creativity that Unilever, a founding member of The UK Plastics Pact, has shown in developing this new pack".

The move came in the same week as Unilever provided an update on its sustainability strategy, revealing that the brands it classifies as Sustainable Living delivered three quarters of the company's revenue growth last year and growing 69 per cent faster than the rest of the business.