Multinationals increase their sustainability

The acquisition of green industries is on the rise. After the French based cosmetics company L’Oréal bought environmentally orientated brands like The Body Shop and Sanoflore, Unilever is also following this trend.

Unilever is a fast moving, multinational consumer goods company with products including food, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products. It is the world's third-largest consumer goods company measured by 2012 revenue, after Procter & Gamble and Nestlé, as explained by Plastics Today. In the last week of September, they announced a 600 million dollar purchase of the American company, Seventh Generation. The company sells cleaning, paper, and personal care products designed with human health and the environment in mind.

Seventh Generation focuses its marketing and product development on sustainability andthe conservation of natural resources. It uses recycled and post-consumer materials in its packaging, biodegradable and plant-based phosphate and chlorine-free ingredients in its products. With this purchase, Unilever is investing in a steadily growing business: sustainable and organic products. Unilever differs from other companies in its acquisitions, with the intention of building synergy between their new organic brands. It has previously bought the skincare brand REN. Discussions about the acquisition of The Honest Company, an American consumer goods company, co-founded by actress Jessica Alba, with a focus on non-toxic household products to supply the marketplace for ethical consumerism, have been rumored.