In a move that is sure to be welcomed by environmental advocates and discerning consumers alike, Unilever says it will be cutting out 15% of the plastic in each bottle of its products to cut down on the landfill clutter currently building up around the world.

Unilever makes more than 1,000 products worldwide, from shampoos and body washes to diet drinks and ice cream, and now all those disposable containers will have a bit less plastic, reports the Associated Press. The company has already vowed to phase out the use of plastic microbeads in its actual products.

The company is using technology that injects tiny gas pockets into the walls of the bottles, thereby cutting down on the weight and requiring less plastic to be used, without making a bottle that crumples or otherwise can’t hold up.

The first brand to get the slimmed down treatment will be in Unilever’s Dove body wash bottles, which will mean 275 tons of plastic saved.

A spokesman said the company will eventually expand that effort to its other product lines before it gives up its patent rights on the technology by 2015 so that other companies can cut down on plastic as well.

Unilever says it will use less plastic per bottle [Associated Press]

Follow MBQ on Twitter where she will not use any plastic at all: @marybethquirk

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