# Eco-Friendly Ice Cream Unilever Develops Freeze-at-Home Ice Cream to Reduce Emissions By KittyLetter | Published 2009-08-24 | Eco Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/unilever-low-carbon-ice-cream References: [business.timesonline](http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/consumer_goods/article6807139.ece) Wow! Ice cream might never be a guilt-free pleasure, but researchers are hoping to make the dairy indulgence better for the planet, if not our waistlines. Unilever is developing a freeze-at-home low-carbon ice cream which it reckons will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The FMCG giant, the world’s largest producer of ice cream with brands that include Wall’s, Ben & Jerry’s and Magnum, hopes that a “low-carbon” product sold at room temperature and frozen at home will minimize environmental impact. Ice cream is one of the company’s more energy-intensive products because of the need to keep it frozen during transport and storage. Research is being undertaken in Unilever’s own laboratories with Cambridge University. Gavin Neath, Unilever’s senior vice-president for sustainability, told The Times: “We have to look at a really radical solution." ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.3/10 - Popularity: 22% | Activity: 69% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Eco](https://www.trendhunter.com/eco) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Freeze-at-home Ice Cream:** Opportunity for developing low-carbon ice cream that can be frozen at home, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. - **Low-carbon Products:** Disruptive innovation opportunity to create products that have minimal environmental impact, such as low-carbon ice cream. - **Energy-efficient Food Storage:** Innovation potential to develop energy-efficient storage solutions for food products like ice cream, reducing energy consumption. ### Who This Affects Most - **Food and Beverage:** Industry can explore the development of eco-friendly food products, such as low-carbon ice cream, to meet consumer demand for sustainability. - **Frozen Food:** Opportunity for the frozen food industry to adopt freeze-at-home solutions, reducing energy consumption in transportation and storage. - **Sustainability:** Industry can focus on sustainable practices and develop innovative solutions, like low-carbon ice cream, to minimize environmental impact. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Ice Cream-Only Retail Expansions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/unilevers-the-ice-cream-shop.md) - [Freeze-Dried Ice Creams](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ice-cream-that-doesnt-melt.md) - [Lifestyle-Conscious Ice Cream Products](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/oppo-brothers.md) - [Dairy-Free Ice Cream Trucks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dairy-deprogramming-zone.md) - [Animal-Free Dairy Desserts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/animalfree-frozen-dairy-dessert.md) - [Mindful Indulgence Ice Creams](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lec-ice-cream.md) - [Endangered Ice Cream Trucks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/save-the-flavors.md) - [Deluxe Mini Frozen Treats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/carte-dor-products.md) - [Upcycled Frozen Desserts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/upcycled-vegan-ice-cream.md)