Henkel Unveils Sustainable Packaging for Toilet Cleaners

Henkel, the global consumer‑goods leader headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, has introduced a new packaging strategy for its toilet cleaner range that underscores its dedication to sustainability and the circular economy.

Key highlights of the initiative include a substantial increase in recycled polyethylene (PE) usage: 50% of the standard Biff line and a remarkable 75% for the Pro Nature collection. These recycled polymers are sourced from end‑user households, addressing the current scarcity of high‑quality recycled plastics.

"Elevating the recycled PE content in our toilet cleaner bottles is a major milestone for us," said Ulf Timmann, head of Global Packaging Innovations for Toilet Care & Hard Surface Cleaning. "The limited availability of premium recycled material makes this achievement all the more significant, and it fuels our ambition to push the ratio even higher."

Beyond the increased recycled content, the new bottle design reduces overall plastic usage by 11%, cutting the weight of each bottle. This translates to a yearly saving of 480,000 kilograms (1.05 million lbs) of virgin plastic and an estimated CO₂ reduction of 800 tonnes (1.6 billion lbs). The slimmer profile also allows approximately 10 % more bottles to fit on a single transport pallet, further lowering the environmental impact of logistics.

Henkel has also standardized the bottle body across all toilet cleaner brands worldwide, ensuring a consistent design and material composition of polyethylene. The new packaging has been available in retail stores since January 2021.

Looking ahead, Henkel is committed to cutting virgin plastic derived from fossil sources by 50 % in its consumer product packaging by 2025. To reach this target, the company plans to increase the share of recycled plastics to over 30 %, reduce absolute plastic volume, and expand the use of biobased plastics. Importantly, 100 % of Henkel’s packaging will be recyclable or reusable.