Food to detergent group Unilever said on Monday it had ‘avoided costs’ of €350m since 2008 by reducing raw material usage and introducing water, waste and energy efficiency measures.

In addition, a new packaging technique using plastic injected with gas bubbles had the potential to save 27,000 tonnes of plastic when fully rolled out.

Unilever launched a ‘sustainable living plan’ three years ago to try to expand sustainability throughout the company.

Agricultural products

‘We’ve learned that sustainability drives business growth and a much deeper connection with our employees and consumers,’ Unilever chief executive Paul Polman said in a statement.

The aim of the plan is to halve the ‘environmental footprint’ of Unilever’s products by 2020.

Almost half the agricultural raw materials used by Unilever now come from sustainable sources, compared with 14% in 2010, the company said.