5 Big Takeaways from Unilever’s 2025 Annual Report

Unilever released its 2025 Annual Report and Accounts that outlines its progress and direction on all things sustainability. With Greenpeace's campaign on Dove, we've been keeping a close eye on what Unilever is and isn't saying about its plastic packaging problem. As a €50 BILLION company with brands sold in 190 countries, it has massive global reach and influence with connections to millions of other businesses around the world. But is Unilever driving industry transformation or putting profit over people and planet? We've unpacked their report in these key takeaways.

More virgin plastic reduction: Yes, please.

Unilever has reduced its reliance on virgin plastic. But doing so mainly by lightweighting innovations (reducing packaging weight but not number of units), increasing recycled content in its plastic packaging, and swapping one type of single-use packaging for another isn't getting at the heart of the problem. Overall plastic reduction must be the goal, not only virgin plastic. We need to see plastic packaging replaced with non-toxic, zero waste, reuse-refill based alternatives. It's time to expedite a transition away from a plastic-dependent business model.

Greenpeace Africa activists staged a peaceful blockade at the Unilever HQ in Durban, South Africa to call Unilever to cut down their plastics production and stick to their ambitious goal of eliminating virgin plastics from their supply chain.

Swapping throwaway plastic sachets for paper: Just more trash.

Unilever added a much anticipated additional goal on plastic sachet reduction this year, but presented it as an increased "focus on transitioning to paper-based flexible packaging." The company aims to introduce 7.4 -13.7 kilotons of paper sachets by 2028. (note: Unilever produces hundreds of kilotons of plastic each year) But how many of the billions of plastic sachets will be swapped for paper, and where exactly will this happen? Single-use paper packaging raises many similar waste and environmental destruction red flags as plastic sachets. This isn't a zero-waste alternative, or potentially even a zero pollution alternative. The transition roadmap needs to lead to reuse systems, not new one-time-use systems.

A Plastic Monster of more than 20 meters makes its first stop on a tour throughout Europe, outside the Unilever headquarters in Rotterdam. DJs Gregor Salto and Lucien Foort, and Greenpeace Netherlands host a rave. The event is part of the Plastic Monster Ship Tour. During the ship tour Greenpeace exposes plastic pollution for the monster that it is, ships it back to its corporate creators around the world, and demand that they slay the plastic monster.

Recycled plastic content: False solution.

The company achieved its goal of 25% recycled content in its plastic by 2025, touting up to 100% in some products. Unfortunately there is no such thing as a circular economy for plastics, and even 100% recycled plastic packaging isn't as green as it sounds. And plastic packaging with recycled content still pollutes the same way if it ends up in the environment, it still could shed microplastics or chemicals into its contents, and it still could end up in landfill if mismanaged. Recycled plastic usually still requires fossil fuel, petrochemical and additive inputs. The market for post consumer plastic continues to falter, despite industry and governments continuing to prop up the plastic recycling myth. It's time to follow the zero waste hierarchy and prioritize reduction and reuse over recycling.

Greenpeace Africa activists staged a peaceful blockade at the Unilever HQ in Durban, South Africa to call Unilever to cut down their plastics production and stick to their ambitious goal of eliminating virgin plastics from their supply chain.

Support for reuse initiatives: Show us the money.

The report mentions the reuse initiatives it's engaged in sparsely throughout, not instilling confidence that this is an area of priority. A lot of cash is being poured into paper alternatives and recycling initiatives, but what piece of the pie does reuse get? Unilever is participating in multi-brand pilot projects that are city-wide and could be a game changer in reuse scaling, but we need to see more investment from the company in reuse R&D in other major markets, particularly ones dominated by sachets.

We need more information, and less industry rhetoric.

For such a long report, it sure is short on important details. Word choice in these types of communications really matter, and Unilever is still too focused on waste instead of reduction at source, recycling instead of reuse, and alternatives instead of zero waste solutions. Its commitment to be 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable doesn't reflect that these are not created equal in terms of their impact on the planet and communities. We want to see Unilever continue to be engaged in the Global Plastics Treaty dialogue, prioritizing reduction and reuse, and driving important industry discussions on real solutions. We have a lot of outstanding questions but above all we have a clear message - until Unilever commits to FULLY phase out sachets, double down on reuse, and create a real plan for its other billions of single-use plastic packaged products, the annual report subtext will always be: profit over people and the planet.

Greenpeace USA activists take part in the Summer of Dove campaign by placing informational stickers on Dove products. Joining the global effort taking place in a dozen different countries, people are calling out Dove and its parent company Unilever for trashing the world with throwaway single-use plastic.

Unilever's role in the plastic crisis

Unilever has positioned Dove as a brand with an environmental and social conscience. But global plastic pollution brand audits, community accounts, and years of inaction on known harms to people and the planet make it easy to question Unilever's true intentions. The dirtier sides of Dove's parent company's business.

• Pushed a disposable business model on communities, destroying traditional low waste practices.
• Sells tens of billions of plastic sachets each year, knowing waste management infrastructure cannot process this type of small, single-use, multilayered packaging.
• One of the world's Top Plastic Polluters year after year, based on clean-ups and audits.

Greenpeace Africa hosted Open Boat Days aboard the iconic Rainbow Warrior while docked in Cape Town, welcoming over 1,200 members of the public onboard. Visitors toured the ship, met crew members and Greenpeace teams, learned about non-violent direct action, and engaged in conversations about climate justice, ocean protection, and people-powered change. Highlights included interactive moments with Big Oil Barry (a playful character used to expose the role of fossil fuel corporations in the climate crisis), educational experiences for children and families, and a special on-board wedding ceremony officiated by the ship's captain. The event created space for learning, connection, and inspiration, reinforcing the importance of collective action and public participation in environmental movements.

Plastic isn't only driving the triple planetary crisis, it's becoming a global human health concern. Customers rub Dove products all over their bodies, they squeeze Hellman's mayo out of a plastic bottle onto their sandwich, and they make their children soup with Knorr stock aged in plastic. The science on the potential health risks associated with plastic packaging is building, and presenting a whole new risk layer that the company is clearly not accounting for. Will 2026 shift the new CEO's thinking and priorities? We call on Unilever to:

• Create a time-bound, phase out plan for sachets
• Transition away from all plastic packaging
• Invest in reuse and refill systems at a scale matching its plastic footprint
• Support the reduction of out of control plastic production
• Shift innovation, design, and marketing away from disposability
• Support a strong Global Plastics Treaty that prioritises reduction and reuse

Sarah King is a Senior Campaign Strategist for the Plastic Free Future Campaign at Greenpeace Canada