Tupperware: A Legacy Brand Embracing a Sustainable Future
As overflowing landfills and waste-ridden seas dominate the headlines, advocates continue to call on companies to embrace a circular economy, in which materials are infinitely reused and nothing becomes waste. Tupperware Brands is among those answering the call. Earlier this month, the direct sales company rolled out a vision to leverage its people and products to push the circular economy forward—which it fittingly dubbed No Time To Waste.
For Tupperware, which was founded in the 1940s with a lineup of reusable food storage containers, the move is something of a return to its roots. “One could say we practised sustainability before it was even called that,” said Mark Shamley, VP of social impact for Tupperware. “Our plan is about how to leverage our history and modernize that approach for where we are today.”
This summer Tupperware will become one of the first four companies to utilize a new raw material made from mixed plastic waste. The so-called “certified circular polymer” will appear in a line of Tupperware products meant to replace single-use items—including a reusable straw, coffee cup and beverage tumbler.
“This is a global launch for the company that allows us to make a pretty bold statement around reusability and renewable materials,” Shamley said. “It supports claims about the circular economy and, at the same time, provides alternatives to well known single-use items that are found in waterways and oceans.”
The company’s operational changes under No Time To Waste are numerous: It committed to eliminating waste sent to landfill by 2025 and pioneer new technologies that will allow 90 per cent of returned products to be reused or recycled at the end of their useful lives. Additionally, with its network of millions of salespeople and customers worldwide, Tupperware’s leadership feels the company can help hasten the shift toward more sustainable choices. The company is calling on customers to take a low-waste pledge and reaching out with lifestyle tips to help them “waste less and live more.
Source: The Triple Pundit
