Unilever uses carbon emissions to make detergent

Global fast-moving consumer goods firm Unilever has created laundry capsules produced using industrial carbon emissions instead of being directly manufactured from fossil fuels.

The creation of the product under its laundry detergent brand OMO in China is the result of a collaboration with LanzaTech, a China-based carbon recycling petrochemical producer that specializes in gas fermentation, along with petrochemical producer India Glycols.

Lanzatech first produces ethanol using industrial carbon emissions as feedstock at its Beijing Shougang LanzaTech plant in China. This process reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 82pc when compared with the use of fossil fuels, according to the company. India Glycols then converts the ethanol into ethylene oxide, a key feedstock to make surfactants at its site in India. Unilever then uses the surfactants in manufacturing the laundry capsules in Hefei, China.

The new capsules launched in China on 22 April on the same day as World Earth Day. The product comes at no extra cost to consumers, according to Unilever.

The process is part of Unilever's 2020 commitment to eliminate the use of fossil fuels in its cleaning and laundry products by 2030. Unilever also committed to halving its virgin plastic use by 2025 and is aiming for net-zero carbon emissions from all its products by 2039.

Unilever also launched recyclable dishwashing polyethylene packaging in Europe earlier this month to provide more sustainable solutions to meet increased demand for flexible packaging.

By Matthew Rajendra