The environmental improvement process in Unilever

Unilever is one of the worlds largest consumer goods companies, with a turnover in 1996 of Dfl 87 795 million. Most of the business is in branded consumer goods. More than half the turnover is generated with food products, which include margarine, oil, tea, tomato-based sauces, ice-cream and frozen fish. The second key product area is home and personal care, which includes detergents, soap, shampoo, tooth-paste and skin cream. Up to the beginning of 1997 Unilever had a major activity in speciality chemicals. Today, Unilever has some 500 operating companies in over 80 countries, and employs about 300 000 people worldwide.