Unilever is one of the biggest names in consumer goods. Based in the UK, its brands show up in kitchens, bathrooms, and grocery aisles across more than 190 countries. Think Dove, Rexona, Knorr, Hellmann’s, and Magnum.
The company has long drawn fire for its role in deforestation, plastic pollution, and labor exploitation across sprawling supply chains. In 2022, Unilever overruled Ben & Jerry’s independent board to keep selling ice cream in Israeli settlements, tying the corporation directly to commerce in occupied territory.
Unilever’s scale gives it global reach and a trail of harm. On plastics, it ranks among the world’s worst polluters. After pledging 100% recyclable packaging by 2025, it quietly rolled back targets, while single-use sachets in Asian markets continue to generate waste with no recycling path.Its palm-oil supply tells a similar story. Unilever claims 97% is deforestation-free, yet watchdogs show illegal palm oil still leaking into its network, exposing the limits of its oversight.Human rights issues also shadow the company. Past scandals include mercury poisoning in India and abuses on tea plantations. The tea arm has since been sold, but its model of outsourced farm and factory labor still leaves workers vulnerable.And in 2022, Unilever overruled Ben & Jerry’s board by selling its Israeli business to a local licensee, ensuring sales continued in both Israel and the occupied West Bank, directly linking the company to the economy of occupation.Unilever markets itself as a leader in ethics and sustainability. Its record on plastics, palm oil, labor, and political complicity says otherwise.