Persil Announces the Cleaner Planet Plan

New Zealand’s #1 laundry detergent launches plan to halve the environmental impact of doing laundry.

Celebrity Kiwi-mum Greer Robson-Kirk is fronting a campaign with New Zealand’s favourite laundry detergent, Persil, to inspire New Zealanders to take actions every day in a bid to halve the environmental impact of doing laundry by 2020.

Robson-Kirk is “extremely excited" about being involved in a project that has caring for the environment as its focus, “As a mum of three, I’m very concerned about the world we are leaving behind for our kids, and the Persil Cleaner Planet Plan has given me an opportunity to get involved in making a difference.

“Did you know New Zealanders do around 390 million loads of laundry every year? That’s 390 million opportunities to take small steps at home in the laundry that can make a big difference for the planet. Now, with Persil, we can tread lighter on the environment, while still getting brilliant wash results.” says Robson-Kirk

The Persil Cleaner Planet Plan focuses on four key areas, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, saving water, expending less energy and decreasing packaging waste. It also takes into account the entire lifecycle of each Persil product – from raw materials sourcing, manufacturing, packaging and delivery. And most importantly, through to consumer use and disposal, as this is where we can all make the biggest impact.

As part of the Cleaner Planet Plan, Persil has recently removed phosphate from its New Zealand manufactured laundry powders, which equates to a 32% reduction in the greenhouse gas footprint of the product. The removal of phosphate began in 2008 across Persil’s liquids range, and all their products are now phosphate-free.

According to Sebastian Lazell, Chairman of Unilever Australia and New Zealand, “New Zealanders are at the forefront of many sustainable practices and we recognise the opportunity to help Kiwis continue to make small sustainable steps. For instance if all New Zealand households used new Persil, it would save 14,400 tonnes of CO2 per year – the equivalent of taking 5,647 cars off the road – compared to using a phosphate product,” says Lazell.

The Persil range now carries the Cleaner Planet Plan logo on-pack, so consumers know they are purchasing a product that is kinder to the environment.

To improve packaging waste, Persil pioneered the compaction and concentration of powders and liquids within New Zealand. The introduction of Persil Small & Mighty, a three-times concentrated liquid and two-times concentrated powder has resulted in 40% less packaging - saving the equivalent of 9.9 million plastic shopping bags every year! Not only this, but reduced packaging has also led to 130 delivery trucks being taken off the road annually, which is great for reducing noise pollution and carbon emissions.

In order to reduce energy usage, Persil is encouraging everyone to wash full loads in cold water, which helps save power and money because most of the energy used in washing clothes is for heating the water.

For water savings, use a short or eco cycle, which typically needs 50%* less water than a regular wash. If we all washed with short or eco cycles we could save 39 billion litres of water a year – that’s just over 15 thousand Olympic swimming pools! Make sure to use Small & Mighty laundry liquid as well –its concentrated formula means Persil was able to save around 1.1 million litres of laundry liquid in its first year.

In order to reduce energy usage, Persil is encouraging everyone to wash full loads in cold water, which helps save power and money because most of the energy used in washing clothes is for heating the water.

Every small step taken in the laundry can make a big difference, so visit www.cleanerplanetplan.co.nz for more information about Persil’s Cleaner Planet Plan and to view tips for caring for the environment at home.