The latest environmental packaging and marketing initiatives are refillable personal care bottles with ready-to-mix concentrates of the products. Unilever has introduced Dove Body Wash in Europe and the US with reuse and refill packaging to replace single-use bottles to address sustainability issues for its body wash. While the new solution does not seem to be advertised or produced in India, it is available on eCommerce platforms in the country.
Unilever’s reusable packaging for Dove Body Wash motivates shoppers to opt for sustainable refill packs in place of single-use plastic bottles. The reusable bottles and refill concentrates’ packaging design works on the ‘buy once and refill numerous times’ strategy, thereby addressing plastic waste. The kit contains a pump bottle made of either aluminum or high-density polyethylene (HDPE) intended for reuse, plus one 118-milliliter HDPE refill bottle containing concentrate for the body wash. Both the HDPE bottles are recyclable.
Once the initial pack is purchased, consumers have the chance to use the refill packs for subsequent purchases. On its website, Dove is offering a lifetime replacement guarantee for the bottle and the pump. The website under its warranty and conditions heading, says, “If your Dove aluminum or plastic reusable bottle is ever broken or damaged, we will replace it free of charge – no proof of purchase needed.”
Mixing up a fresh batch of the body wash is claimed to be effortless and mess-free – consumers just need to attach the refill’s quick-connect cap to the refillable bottle. A twist gives out a loud click, indicating that it is ready to squeeze the contents of the refill into the larger refillable bottle. Consumers just need to add water and replace, attach, and lock the pump and mix the contents by shaking. The pump is easy to use and locks and unlocks with a twist. The reusable bottle holds about 473 milliliters of the remixed product at one time. The HDPE refillable bottle has a translucent vertical strip on the side, indicating the level of body wash remaining in it.
The starter kit has simple instructions on the back on how to mix the concentrate in the refill bottle and there is a QR code that can take consumers to a video demonstration of how to mix the products and handle the refillable packaging.
According to Unilever, after two refills in the aluminum bottle and four refills in the HDPE one, consumers use 50% less plastic compared to single-use plastic bottles for the same volume of Dove Body Wash. Additionally, the refillable bottles and concentrate refills use 80% less water per reuse when shipped and lead to 21% less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from manufacturing over a year, as per the company’s estimate.
Design agency JDO has assisted Dove in creating aesthetically designed refillable packs. Embracing Dove’s prominent design principles, the solution conveys innovative sustainable design in a clear manner that de-emphasizes the branding since the packaging is meant to be for active seekers or eCommerce rather than needed for the brand name to stand out on the shelf. The solution and packaging are distinct and designed to convey to users their active participation in reducing plastic consumption.
The illustration on the aluminum and HDPE bottles features botanical imagery while the layered green ferns offset by the metallic sheen of the aluminum give out a spa-like aesthetic. The Dove logo in gold is offset by the instructions ‘Refill, Reuse, Repeat’, adding elegance and a bit of old-world gloss. The packaging design appeals to customer aspirations to play an active role in sustainable solutions while also using a sophisticated product.
The corrugated shipper with Dove’s brand graphics has been specially designed for the starter kits sold on eCommerce platforms. For brick-and-mortar retail shelves, there is a micro-flute corrugated display pack. The secondary packaging has a flap to hold the refill bottle in place without leakage.
Dove Body Wash concentrate refill packs are available in three variants – Cucumber, Shea & Warm Vanilla, and Daily Moisture.
Godrej Consumer Products
In mid-2022, Godrej Consumer Products launched a ready-to-mix body wash in order to penetrate the body wash category in India. The Godrej Magic Bodywash was made available as a single gel sachet and as a combi-pack consisting of a bottle and gel sachet.
The company spoke about this innovation at the Elite conference in Mumbai in early September 2022. The combi pack is priced at Rs 65 while the single gel sachet was priced at Rs 45. While the new product is difficult to find in retail stores, it is available in retail stores as well as on Amazon.
