Circular Economy

There’s No Time to Waste, So Let’s Make Time for the Future

When you hear the word “Tupperware,” do you picture leftovers in your grandmother’s fridge? Or perhaps 1960s housewives displaying towers of product at a “Tupperware Party?” It’s time to paint a new picture.

By Mark Shamley | Published 5 years ago | About a 4 minute read

Image: Tupperware/Instagram

What do you picture when you hear the word “Tupperware?” Is it a container of leftovers in your grandmother’s fridge? Or perhaps the iconic living room of 1960s housewives displaying towers of product to their closest friends at a “Tupperware Party?”

It’s time to paint a new picture. Over the past 70 years, Tupperware has established itself as a leader in reusable, long-lasting food storage containers and kitchen solutions that reduce single-use plastic and food waste. From Earl S. Tupper’s signature seal designed to lock in freshness to today’s Eco Water Bottle, Tupperware’s designs are rooted in sustainability.

As a company, we have consistently used our business opportunities and products to make a positive impact on the world around us. Through our business opportunity, we offer women the chance to cultivate the confidence they need to enrich their lives, nourish their families and fuel communities around the world. And through our products, we have always been focused on the vision to increase the longevity of our planet, our people and the communities in which we live and work by significantly reducing the amount of food and single-use waste produced.

Over the past year, we have taken a hard look at how our operations and products can go further — what else can we do to deepen our impact on the current and future needs of our loyal consumers, our salesforce and our shared planet? The issue that quickly rose to the top was waste. Waste today is polluting our planet, clogging our ocean and riverways and destroying delicate ecosystems. By 2050, the plastic in our oceans could weigh more than all the fish. However, waste does not just stop at plastic pollution: Roughly one-third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year — approximately 1.3 billion tons — is lost or wasted.

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We must act now: As people, we must change habits; as a business, we must innovate for good.

The result of our deep dive into our supply chain and operations is our new commitment, “No Time to Waste” — Tupperware’s vision to significantly reduce plastic and food waste by 2025.

We will lean into our heritage of product innovation and design to create new, reusable and sustainable products that further prevent single-use plastic from entering into the waste stream, while also helping reduce food waste in kitchens around the globe.

Each stage of the production process is important, starting with the material with which a product is made. In April, we announced that we are one of four companies selected to collaborated with long-term supplier, SABIC, to introduce a revolutionary new raw material — certified circular polymers — made from mixed plastic waste. The initial products to be made in this material are a portable, reusable straw and an on-the-go coffee mug. Both products advance Tupperware’s commitment to make products that make it easier for consumers to reduce their own waste by offering alternatives to single-use plastic.

We know that progress and impact cannot be made or quantified without setting goals, which is why we have set a series of strategic goals and strategies to ensure our impacts most closely reflect the needs of a circular economy. The goals we’ve outlined as part of this vision, meet 12 of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals:

By 2025, all Tupperware products will be delivered to consumers in packaging that is compostable or biodegradable.
We are reducing plastic poly bags by 30 percent by 2020, 50 percent by 2022, 100 percent by 2025.
We are reducing waste, increasing renewable energy and limiting the amount of water used to operate.
Across all manufacturing facilities, we are targeting zero waste to landfill by 2025.
We are enhancing the return process for all Tupperware products so that by 2025, 90 percent of returned products will be recycled and repurposed.

To make a true impact on the issue of waste, we know we can’t do it alone. This is why we’re working with organizations — such as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation — with a global reach that share our vision, provide us counsel and guidance, and push our boundaries; and that we know make a true difference in the world.

We can all make a difference, which is why we are encouraging each and every one of you to join us in doing our part to ensure we focus on the longevity of our planet by wasting less in our daily lives today, tomorrow and in the future.

If you’re in Detroit this week for the Sustainable Brands conference, be sure to pick up Tupperware’s Eco-Water Bottle, meant to keep you hydrated throughout the conference and beyond, in the gift area.