AS Watson, the world’s largest international health and beauty retailer, is stepping up its fight against plastic waste with a strengthened commitment under the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Global Commitment 2030. The company has pledged to reduce virgin plastic in its own-brand packaging by 21% by 2030, using 2022 as its baseline year.
The renewed target, featured on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Global Commitment website, the renewed target underscores AS Watson’s leadership in advancing a circular economy across its global operations.
This renewed target, now featured on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Global Commitment website, reinforces AS Watson’s leadership in advancing a circular economy and tackling plastic waste across its global footprint.
The commitment focuses on four major sources of own-brand packaging: product packaging, in-store carrier bags, online business parcels, and single-use plastics in warehouses. These are areas where the retailer believes it can drive the greatest impact. Efforts will include eliminating unnecessary packaging, increasing recycled plastic content, improving recyclability and reusability, and expanding refill and reuse systems worldwide.
Across markets, tangible changes are already underway. Watsons China, for example, has removed plastic windows and trays from selected gift packs, saving more than seven tons of plastic. In Europe, Superdrug redesigned its Naturally Radiant range, making cartons fully recyclable and ensuring each SKU contains at least 30% recycled plastic.
“At Watsons Philippines, we support this campaign by transitioning our stores from plastic to paper bags and encouraging customers to bring reusable bags. We are also expanding the distribution of our Recycle for Rewards bins, inviting customers to return empty personal care plastic bottles, while promoting our better packaging, refill packs, and reuse products both in-store and via the Watsons app,” said Danilo Chiong, Managing Director of Watsons Philippines.
AS Watson is urging businesses and suppliers to join the 2030 Plastics Agenda for Business, emphasizing that collaboration across the value chain will be key to scaling circular solutions and delivering lasting environmental benefits.
