14 DAY TRIAL // Only recently, Earth911 and global consumer goods company Unilever (i.e. the manufacturer of Axe, Degree, Suave and Dove) have made it public news that they are to enter a partnership whose goal is that of determining whether or not deodorant sticks can successfully be recycled.
In other words, the project team commissioned by these two organizations is to try and figure out if collecting used deodorant sticks and using them as raw material in order to make other plastic-based objects is a viable option both from a financial, and from an environmental standpoint.
Apparently, Unilever hopes that this green-oriented campaign will help it achieve its sustainability goals, Environmental Leader says.
As Unilever's Senior Manager, Michael Hughes, puts it, “If the program is successful, we will be able to provide the recycling industry with information that shows multi-resin deo-sticks can be profitably recycled.”
"National recycling of deodorant sticks will reduce the environmental footprint of our brands as well as our competitors," Michael Hughes went on to add.
During the initial stage of this project, Earth911 and Unilever will focus on collecting used deodorant sticks, and it seems that they will get some much needed help from youth studying in roughly 50 high schools and colleges in the US.
This project's supporting partners are Nextlife and FundingFactory.
The first is in charge of helping out high schools and college students collect the deodorant sticks that are to enter this recycling campaign, whereas the second will see to it that the deodorant sticks are processed into recycled polypropylene resin.
"Earth911, using our network, facilitated a solution for Unilever to fulfill a product stewardship initiative. FundingFactory and Nextlife get valuable recyclable materials out of the waste stream."
"And, as an added bonus, schools will get fundraising opportunities until enough sticks are collected for the project. It is a true triple bottom-line win for everyone," argued Corey Lambrecht, the current president of Earth911.