Nikwax Continues Journey In Plastics Reduction

Nikwax, the international leader in technical cleaners and waterproofing products for outdoor gear and apparel, has announced its bottle lids are now made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic. This latest step keeps the brand on target to reach its goal of having 90% of its total plastics use come from recycled plastic by the end of 2023. Now, all of Nikwax’s product bottles and lids are made from 100% PCR plastic and fully recyclable.

Focusing on Circularity

Plastic is a huge problem in the natural environment, affecting our land, oceans, and rivers. While plastic is an extremely useful material, its disposal is a critical issue. Publicity about the scale of the problem has been increasing as we see images of mountains of plastic garbage on beaches and floating islands of plastic in the Pacific.

To help exclude it from nature, we can encourage a market for recycled and recyclable plastic. In 2020, Nikwax transitioned all of its bottles to recycled (and recyclable) plastic, and to further this commitment, now the caps will be as well.

“Because the raw material we’re working with is made from various sources, a key challenge was consistency and quality of the lid,” said Brian Davidson, President, Nikwax NA. “After a lot research and testing, our team was able to develop a lid that met our standard of quality and maintained the desired colors to match our Green for Clean and Purple for Proof. Additionally, with rigorous testing of this new material, we found the quality and performance of the recycled plastic provided an even better fitting lid and an improved customer experience.”

Nikwax’s Plastic Reduction Progress as of Year-End 2022:

• Reduced the total amount of plastic used by 25% in the past year.
• Reduced the use of virgin plastic by 52%.
• With the new caps, recycled plastics will now make up over 80% of all plastics used in the product line.

Founded in 1977, Nikwax is the trusted global leader in environmentally safe cleaning and waterproofing solutions that extend the performance life of outdoor clothing, footwear, and equipment. The brand’s 45-year commitment to clean chemistry means never using PFCs or aerosols, and not testing on animals. Its product line is water-based and non-persistent, and all product bottles and lids are made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic that can also be recycled. Nikwax has carbon balanced all 45 years of its operations and became an employee-owned trust in 2022.