Unilever donates $1 million worth of hand sanitiser to Foodbank

Unilever Australia & New Zealand (ANZ) will start producing hand sanitiser locally as it redirects existing deodorant production facilities to help meet national demand and help in the fight against COVID-19.

To ensure Australians and New Zealanders in need have access to this highly sought-after product, Unilever will donate 150,000 cans – to its longstanding partner, Foodbank, to manage distribution across Australia and New Zealand.

Nicky Sparshott, CEO of Unilever Australia & New Zealand, said, “We believe we have a social, medical, and moral obligation to make hand hygiene readily available. That’s why we’re responding to Government calls to action to increase supply of essential products by rapidly innovating and re-directing some of our Australian manufacturing.”

In addition to the AU$1m donation of hand sanitiser, Unilever will also donate AU$1m worth of essential homecare, personal care and food products to Foodbank to distribute across Australia, including leading household brands Comfort, Sunsilk, Love Beauty and Planet, Simple and Continental.

Brianna Casey, CEO of Foodbank Australia said: “We are so grateful for this incredibly generous donation of much-sought-after sanitiser and other essential household items from Unilever.

“Foodbank has seen a 50 percent increase in demand for food and grocery relief due to job loss and small business closures across the country and donations such as food, personal care and cleaning products are critical.

“Thank you to everyone at Unilever for your ongoing commitment to Foodbank which enables us to support Australians not only now during this COVID-19 crisis, and for the long haul.”

Ms Sparshott continued, “We know our brands can play a big role in bringing both hygiene and comfort to everyday life, particularly while we all spend more time than ever at home. Whether it be providing a nourishing meal for the family, or keeping the home clean, Unilever is proud to play its part in helping Australian and New Zealand families stay safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic.”