AS Watson Refreshes Virgin Plastic Reduction Target to 21% by 2030

AS Watson Group, the world’s largest international health and beauty retailer, has announced a significant update to its corporate environmental strategy, specifically targeting the material composition of its proprietary product lines. The company has refreshed its commitment to reduce virgin plastic intensity in its Own Brand packaging by 21% by 2030, using a 2011 baseline.

Strategic Shift in Material Sourcing

This revised target underscores the retailer’s aggressive move away from fossil-based virgin polymers toward a circular packaging economy. To achieve the 21% reduction, AS Watson is heavily relying on the integration of Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) content. The strategy involves a systematic audit of the supply chain to replace virgin High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) with their recycled counterparts, rHDPE and rPET.

By increasing the percentage of PCR content, the company aims to decouple its growth from the consumption of raw fossil fuels. This approach is complemented by “lightweighting” initiatives—engineering packaging that requires less plastic mass to maintain structural integrity—and the elimination of unnecessary secondary packaging.

Closing the Loop

Beyond material substitution, AS Watson is enhancing the end-of-life viability of its products. The group is phasing out unrecyclable materials such as PVC and Carbon Black from its portfolio to ensure that packaging entering the waste stream can be effectively processed by standard recycling facilities.

Malina Ngai, Group CEO of AS Watson, emphasized that the refreshed target is part of a broader “Greener Stores Global Framework.” This initiative not only governs material choices but also integrates retail-side interventions, such as customer recycling programs and the expansion of refill stations across their global network of stores, including Watsons, Superdrug, and Rossmann.

The move signals a growing trend among major retailers to take direct responsibility for the technical lifecycle of their packaging, moving beyond simple compliance to proactively shaping market demand for recycled plastics.

Source: Read more