Recyclable shampoo bottle made with beach plastic

Head & Shoulders shampoo has always been marketed on its ability to remove dandruff from hair. Now the brand is branching out into an area that’s a little different in nature and even more important — removing plastic litter from beaches.

The shampoo’s parent company, Procter & Gamble (P&G), is partnering with recycling experts TerraCycle and SUEZ to launch a recyclable shampoo bottle made from up to 25% recycled beach plastic. The limited-edition bottle will be made available in France later this year, in what is expected to be the world’s largest production run of recyclable bottles made with post-consumer recycled (PCR) beach plastic.

In addition to the project, which involves the support of thousands of volunteers collecting plastic waste from beaches, P&G announced that more than half a billion bottles sold in Europe every year will include up to 25% post-consumer recycled plastic by the end of 2018. This represents more than 90% of all European hair care bottles across P&G’s entire haircare portfolio.

“The increased use of PCR plastic across our haircare portfolio of brands demonstrates our continued commitment to driving real change,” said Virginie Helias, vice president of global sustainability, P&G. “The Head & Shoulders recyclable shampoo bottle made with beach plastic is a world’s first in the haircare category.”

P&G has been using PCR plastic in packaging for over 25 years, with the new project bringing the company further towards its Corporate 2020 goal of doubling the tonnage of PCR plastic used in packaging. The project will require a supply of 2600 tons of recycled plastic every year — the same weight as eight fully loaded Boeing 747 jumbo jets.

“Increasing the use of recycled plastic in the packaging of our flagship brands, like Pantene and Head & Shoulders, makes it easier for consumers to choose more sustainable products without any trade-offs,” said Helias. “So while we’re proud of what we’ve done and what we’re doing, we know there is much more work ahead.”