Toothpaste maker Colgate-Palmolive has warned that it could miss hitting its key sustainable packaging target, as its chairman calls the task of cutting waste a ”daunting challenge”.
Colgate-Palmolive has set green targets for 2025, including a target that all its packaging is recyclable, reusable, or compostable within that time frame.
The US consumer goods firm, which hopes to achieve net zero by 2040, has achieved 87.6% recyclable, reusable, or compostable packaging as of the end of 2022, marking an 84.2% increase from the previous year.
It has also shifted around 60% of its toothpaste SKUs into recyclable tubes across the world.
By 2025, it hopes to move the remainder of its global portfolio into recyclable tubes.
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But in comments reported by Packaging Europe, Colgate-Palmolive has warned of “industry-wide challenges” with flexible packaging across the rest of its product portfolio, such as its Hill’s Pet Food bags and personal care pouches.
In doing so, it warned that it could miss its 2025 target, which is to achieve full recyclability, reusability, and compostability across the board.
Chairman, president and CEO Noel Wallace described the move to cut plastic waste as a “daunting challenge”.
“While we have set clear targets in areas such as using less plastic and more recycled plastic and making all of our packaging recyclable, reusable, or compostable, we also need to work with others towards systemic changes that no company can achieve alone”.
Earlier this year, financial think tank Planet Tracker named Colgate-Palmolive, Procter & Gamble and Walmart as members of trade associations which are misaligned with the Paris Agreement.
