Unilever Partners with Alibaba Group to Launch New Plastic Recycling System

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster):  Unilever announced that it has joined hands with the China-based Alibaba Group to launch new closed-loop plastic recycling system in the country. The joint initiative is named ‘Waste-Free-World’.

According to joint press release, the partnership will work towards creating state-of-the-art recycling machines that use artificial intelligence (AI) technology to automatically identify and sort plastic packaging. The pilot program in Shanghai and Hangzhou cities had installed 20 such recycling machines in offices and community spaces. The consumers could use Alipay e-wallet service to scan the QR code and deposit used plastic bottle into the recycling bin.

The partnership combines the power of Unilever’s packaging technology and Alibaba’s business operating system to create a nation-wide plastic packaging management system that promotes circular economy.

Rohit Jawa, Unilever’s executive vice president of North Asia said that it aims to reduce the use of plastics by approximately 100,000 tons by 2025 and promote the use of recyclable plastic. The initiative launched in association with the Alibaba Group is likely to become the ‘green engine’ of the circular economy for plastic packaging in China, he added.

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