Barr, S. (2019, October 23). Huggies to eliminate plastic from baby wipe range in UK. Retrieved November 16, 2020, from https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/huggies-plastic-baby-wipes-waste-environment-sustainable-eco-friendly-uk-a9167456.html
Huggies announced plans to completely eliminate plastic from their baby wipes within the next five years even though it is the first leading baby wipe brand to make a promise like this. The vice-president of the company that owns Huggies said that they won’t stop until they find a fully sustainable solution. However, only about a third of parents said it was important for the wipes they purchase to be environmentally friendly even though four out of five parents say they are concerned about the environmental impact of their wipes. This commitment by Huggies is only applicable the UK, but is planned to be implemented in the next five years.
I think that this commitment is a valiant one, especially since Huggies is the only one making this promise for now. Although there are more sustainable companies and methods, this shows how even though there are options it is often the responsibility of the companies to make the effort. Although the customers said that the environmental impact concerned them, they did not make the switch. Consumers will most often gravitate heavily towards the cheap and available often even if it is not the most sustainable. Hopefully other baby wipe brands will follow suit and this will expand to other countries as well.
I agree that the majority of consumers gravitate toward the cheapest options rather than the most environmentally friendly ones. What do you think are some ways that governments can enforce promises such as this so that they don’t become publicity stunts?
Thank you for reading! You bring up an interesting point that these promises can be used as publicity stunts if not followed through. I think that companies that are working to reduce their environmental damage should be rewarded by the government, so if they don’t follow through they will lose this. That way, sustainable methods would be incentivized.
I am very glad that recently, companies like this that thinks about the environmental impact that their products have, is increasing in many industries. It is sad to hear that us consumers are the ones that chooses to impact the environment for the sake of cheaper goods. I would hope that there will be more cheaper goods that are environmental friendly will appear more in the future.