Press Release & Sponsored Post (Unaffiliated Links)
As a longtime avid recycler, I was thrilled to learn about Unilever's new and exciting Bathroom Recycling Program, and could not wait to share it with you since I am so passionate about recycling.
With Earth Day celebrations behind us, Unilever is launching a new program, “Rinse. Recycle. Reimagine.” to remind Americans that when it comes to recycling in the bathroom, it should be Earth Day, every day. In a survey announced today, the new Unilever Bathroom Recycling Index found that while a majority of Americans are aware that empty bath and beauty bottles are recyclable, less than half (34%) report always bringing these items to the bin. As a result, common bathroom products like shampoo, body wash and lotion bottles could be more likely to end up in landfills than their kitchen counterparts. This seemingly small problem has a huge impact, with nearly 29 million tons of plastics sent to landfills each year – many of which are bottles that once occupied bathrooms across America.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Unilever is launching “Rinse. Recycle. Reimagine.” a new program in partnership with Keep America Beautiful and the Ad Council designed to educate people about recycling in the bathroom, inspire them to reimagine what empty bathroom products could become through recycling, and ultimately make a small change that holds big potential to positively impact the environment.
Think that empty shampoo bottle is just a bottle? Think again. With just a rinse and a recycle, empty bath and beauty bottles can take on new life and return as hairbrushes, backpacks or even backyard play set.
The new Unilever Bathroom Recycling Index found that while a majority of Americans are aware that their empty bathroom bottles are recyclable, less than half report regularly bringing them to the bin. As a result, common bathroom products like shampoo, body wash and lotion bottles could be more likely to end up in landfills than their kitchen counterparts, contributing to the nearly 29 million tons of plastics sent to landfills each year!
• Beware the product hoarders: 1 in 5 Americans (20%) have more than 10 bathroom products in plastic bottles in their bathroom at a given time.
• What gets Americans moving: Americans are more likely to go the distance to get a drink when thirsty, charge their phone, or answer a phone call than walk an empty plastic bottle from the bathroom to the recycle bin.
• Battle of the sexes: More men (80%) reported recycling their empty bathroom bottles than women (74%).
“Rinse. Recycle. Reimagine.” Bathroom Recycling Program
Unilever can’t do this alone, and so the company has introduced the Unilever BrightFuture initiative.
What began as Project Sunlight in 2013 has evolved into a larger movement designed to bring Unilever’s purpose to life and inspire Americans to take small actions that add up to a big difference – whether that’s wasting less, sharing more, turning off the tap, turning on community activism or, simply, recycling – because everyone has a role to play in creating a brighter future.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
• Did you know the average American has 8 products in their bathroom at a given time, yet only 34% of Americans always recycle them – that could send nearly 600 million plastic bottles to landfills each year!
• Unilever is launching “Rinse. Recycle. Reimagine.” a new program designed to educate people about recycling in the bathroom, inspire them to reimagine what empty bathroom products could become through recycling, and ultimately make a small change that holds big potential to positively impact the environment.
• Spread the word by sharing a photo of your bathroom empties being recycled on Twitter and Instagram using #ReimagineThat. Add #Sweeps to your post to be entered for a chance to win recycled, reimagined prizes.
• Watch famous Internet Illusionist Zach King and others reimagine recycling and share their videos across your social channels.
• Visit BrightFuture.Unilever.us to learn how you can help bridge the gap in bathroom recycling.
Unilever needs help from America to make this change a reality, and is asking people nationwide to step up and join the bathroom recycling movement. Go to brightfuture.unilever.us to learn more, or share a photo of your bathroom recyclables on Twitter @unileverusa or Instagram using #ReimagineThat and #Sweeps for a chance to win reimagined recycled prizes. Daily and grand prizes range from Unilever beauty kits to goods made from recycled plastics like an umbrella or a backpack. By taking simple steps at home – like recycling –Americans can also help the environment and address climate change.
Additional Unilever Bathroom Recycling Index Findings
• Fueling the bathroom recycling gap is a combination of confusion, misinformation and a bit of skepticism. While the majority of Americans know where they should be putting their empty bottles, 42% claim that they don’t recycle because they aren’t sure an item is eligible for recycling. Additionally, more than a quarter (27%) of Americans are not convinced their recycled items can actually become something new. To find out what qualifies items for recycling in your area and to find out what your plastic bottles could become, go to iwanttoberecycled.org/bathroom.
• There are quite a few things Americans would do before walking their empty bath and beauty bottles to the recycling bin. One in five (22%) Americans wouldn’t walk across their home to recycle a bath or beauty bottle. In fact, Americans are more likely to go the distance to get a drink when thirsty, charge their phone, or answer a phone call than walk an empty plastic bottle from the bathroom to the recycling bin.
• Some cities have better bathroom recycling habits than others. Of the major U.S. metropolitan cities, Philadelphia came out on top demonstrating the best bathroom recycling habits with 52% reporting that they always recycle in the bathroom, while Atlanta ranked last with only 23% reporting that they always recycle in the bathroom.
Specifically, while many of Unilever’s bath and beauty products are packaged in recycled material,
Unilever has set an aggressive goal to increase the recycled material content in its packaging to maximum possible levels by the year 2020. However, there is currently not enough recycled plastic resin available to do so, and in order to achieve this goal Unilever needs Americans to recycle more – the bathroom is an easy place to start.
“Rinse. Recycle. Reimagine.” is an extension of Keep America Beautiful and the Ad Council’s "I Want To Be Recycled" national communications campaign, created pro bono by San Francisco-based ad agency Pereira & O'Dell and funded by Unilever. The latest phase of the campaign kicked off in March with a series of broadcast and digital PSAs to motivate more Americans to remember to recycle in the bathroom.
"We’re excited to continue the momentum of our campaign and expand the conversation around bathroom recycling with the ‘Rinse. Recycle. Reimagine.’ program,” said Jennifer Jehn, President and CEO, Keep America Beautiful. “Bathroom recycling is a simple, yet often overlooked act. Together with Unilever and the Ad Council, we hope to help turn bathroom recycling into a daily norm.”
For more information on Unilever US and its brands visit: www.unileverusa.com
To connect with Unilever US via Facebook visit: www.facebook.com/unileverusa
To connect with Unilever US via Twitter follow: @unileverusa
To learn more about taking small actions that can make a big difference visit: https://www.brightfuture.unilever.us
#ReimagineThat and #Sweeps
About Keep America Beautiful
Keep America Beautiful is the nation's leading nonprofit that brings people together to build and sustain vibrant communities. With our national network of community-based affiliates, we work with millions of volunteers who take action in their communities to transform public spaces into beautiful places. Through our programs and public-private partnerships, we engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community's environment. Learn how you can donate or take action at kab.org, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or view us on YouTube (Unaffiliated Links).
I've long been a strong proponent of bathroom recycling and I have yet to hear a legitimate excuse for not doing so other than living in an area where they don't have a recycling program of any kind. Sorry to say, but the more common reason for not recycling is laziness or thoughtlessness. :-(
ReplyDeleteI had a hard time getting my adult sons (who live on their own) in the groove as far as recycling goes, but they're actually pretty good about it now. They even use the recyclable/reusable bags when they do their marketing. As for my dear husband, it was like someone threw a switch: One day he didn't recycle anything; the next day he was recycling everything! Anyway, let's keep Mother Earth looking her finest--recycle!
Hi Eileen,
DeleteI knew you would be! I completely agree with you that laziness and thoughtlessness is a common reason that people simply don't bother to recycle. In our disposable society people often absolve themselves of all responsibility for things like this, and have no connection to, or interest in where their refuse ends up!
I'm glad that you finally got through to your sons, and that your husband finally threw the switch! It is so important that we all do our part, and we have done so much damage to Mother Earth– it's time that we all wake up and stop making a mess of the planet that we live on!