Kenvue Scales Sustainable Design at Costco, Walmart and Beyond

In 2024, Kenvue’s Zyrtec transitioned from clamshell packaging to fully recyclable paper-based outer packaging — a change driven by Kenvue’s own sustainability efforts. This shift supported Costco’s broader environmental goals, illustrating how supplier-led initiatives can help the retailer meet its sustainability commitments.

Kenvue global head of packaging Sushil Iyer told CGT the effort required many months of collaboration across the company’s entire supply chain, but it allowed the brand to eliminate an estimated 150,000 pounds of annual plastic waste.

Also: Learn about Kenvue’s new science and innovation lab

“Supplier-led product innovations are one of the critical pathways for retailers to achieve their own sustainability goals, with most today having well-defined goals on reducing plastic and waste from their assortments,” he said. “That’s where suppliers can collaborate with retailers by driving the product innovation needed to meet their goals.”

The new packaging is currently rolling out to all retailers and online, supporting Kenvue’s own Healthy Lives Mission goal of reducing virgin plastic in packaging by 25% of its 2020 baseline. The company has already achieved a 21.4% reduction across its portfolio with the help of its proprietary Sustainable Innovation Profiler tool.