Unilever, a multinational consumer goods company, will innovate and collaborate across its home care business to support the laundry sector's climate transition, according to senior managers of the company.

"We will continue to deepen innovation and collaboration with partners, making low-carbon laundry solutions part of everyday consumer choices," said Shen Jun, vice-president of research and development at Unilever China.

Shen made the remarks after the company, in collaboration with the China Research Institute of Daily Chemical Industry, released the White Paper on Detergent Carbon Footprint. This happened during the 2026 China Surfactant Industry Conference held in late April in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province.

The paper represents the first industry-level study in China to apply internationally recognized life cycle assessment methodology to national-standard powder detergent and liquid detergent, quantifying carbon footprints and identifying decarbonization hot spots.

"The paper provides clear, practical insight into where the detergent sector can make the biggest difference in reducing its carbon footprint," said Shen.

The paper also reinforces the direction of Unilever Home Care's Bright Future strategy, reducing dependence on fossil-based materials and scaling sustainable technologies in its products, according to Shen.

Emissions linked to upstream raw materials and downstream degradation account for the majority of total emissions, when consumer use is excluded, according to the paper.

When consumer use is included, electricity and water consumption during washing becomes a major contributor to emissions. From a value chain perspective, manufacturing and transportation represent less than 10 percent of total emissions.

The results demonstrate that significant emission cuts depend on a system-wide strategy instead of only focusing on manufacturing efficiency. For example, consumers who adopt energy-saving washing habits can greatly lower the carbon footprint associated with detergents, according to the paper.

"The paper is more than a research milestone; it is a practical step forward for China's detergent sector toward science-based decarbonization," said Geng Tao, president of CRIDCI.

"We hope more companies will make the life-cycle approach standard practice, and that value chain players will move from isolated actions to coordinated, system-wide progress that strengthens the industry's environmental performance and international competitiveness," said Geng.

As one of the initiators of the paper, Unilever sees home care as a core category for sustainable business transformation. Its Bright Future strategy aims to advance superior performance, affordability and sustainability in tandem, enabling more consumers to choose products with lower-carbon and circular attributes without compromising cleaning efficacy or experience.

"Reducing the climate impact of laundry means designing products around where emissions really occur — that's why our global research and development focus is on lower-carbon ingredients, formulations adaptive in quick and low-temperature washes, and designs effective with less energy and water," said Ian Howell, director of advanced materials and surface science at Unilever Home Care.

Such an innovative approach has already been reflected in the company's product innovation in China. For example, OMO Wonder Wash Detergent Liquid supports effective cleaning in a 15-minute low-temperature machine wash, helping consumers reduce their energy and water use.

Plant-based ingredients account for over 90 percent of the formulation in its Comfort Natural Botanicals scent beads, balancing sensorial benefits with reduced environmental effect.

"Across multiple home care products, we have also expanded the application of recycled content in plastic packaging," added Howell.

"Most detergent-related emissions are actually in the materials we source and in how products are used at home," said Rupert Posner, director of global sustainability advocacy at Unilever Home Care.

Addressing this issue requires a system-wide approach, redesigning products to use materials more intelligently, enabling lower-carbon washing habits, and working alongside partners and policymakers to make low greenhouse gas solutions the default, according to Posner.

Aligned with the systemic approach, Unilever is also supporting industry collaboration through platforms and partnerships, including establishing a net-zero carbon innovation hub in Yancheng, Jiangsu province, working with industrial and institutional partners to explore incubation and scaling pathways for low-carbon technologies.