In December 2025, Kenvue (Shanghai) Healthcare Products Co., Ltd. was listed in Shanghai's first batch of green manufacturing projects for 2025. The previous year, the company was awarded the title of "Shanghai Smart Factory."
As the core production and operation entity for Listerine mouthwash in China, the Kenvue Shanghai factory carries the dual mission of localizing the brand and supplying globally. Listerine was originally owned by Johnson & Johnson, but in 2023, with the spin-off of its consumer health business, it was transferred to the newly established Kenvue. Furthermore, to meet the demands of the Chinese market and reduce supply chain risks, Kenvue transferred some of Listerine's production capacity to its Shanghai factory, achieving "Made in China, supplied to China and the Asi\a-Pacific region."
According to People's Daily, the Kenvue Shanghai factory collaborated with suppliers to overcome technical challenges in the transparency and impact resistance of PCR (post-consumer recycled plastic) resin, successfully upgrading the classic Listerine mouthwash bottle to 100% PCR material, cumulatively reducing the use of virgin plastics by more than 2,000 tons. To match this upgrade, KEF simultaneously optimized the packaging design: adopting easier-to-peel care labels, removing the black colorant from the bottle cap that affects recycling, reducing the thickness of the shrink neck from 50 microns to 40 microns, and decreasing the thickness of the PET safety seal by 20%. These minor adjustments alone can reduce plastic consumption by an additional 1.2 tons annually. It is understood that Listerine mouthwash bottles are primarily made of HDPE.
The 100% PCR-HDPE used in this upgrade has stringent requirements for suppliers, requiring both high transparency and high impact resistance, and must pass food contact grade certification and Global Recycling Standard (GRS) certification.
