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Nestlé accelerates its transformation path to sustainable packaging

Tvari pakuotė

Discover new activities, progress in building a waste-free future

Nestlé is taking intensive action to ensure that 100% of packaging is recyclable or reusable by 2025 and that the use of primary plastics is reduced by one third. Just now, the company announced a number of new proposals, which include a $30 million investment to increase the amount of recycled plastic used for food in the US, arefillable packaging system for pet food in Chile , and the first recyclable paper packaging of its kind for "Maggi" broth cubes in France. 87% of total Nestlé packaging by weight and 66% of total plastic packaging are already recyclable or reusable.

Véronique Cremades-Mathis,global head of sustainable packaging at Nestlé, said: "We have made great strides in our transformation towards a waste-free future, but we know we have more work to do. As the world's largest food and beverage company, we are committed to using our influence to address packaging waste wherever we operate."

Despite the fact that COVID-19 has posed additional challenges, the company's commitment to sustainable packaging remains the same. Nestlé continues to play a leading role in helping to tackle plastic pollution through a three-way approach launched in January 2019:


Axis 1: Development of new packaging

  • Switching to paper packaging in different formats. For example, "Smarties sharing block",a popular chocolate bar with a colorful coating, is available in recyclable paper packaging in the UK.
  • "Gerber" and "Piltti" for baby food use the first bag of the type of material designed to increase the value of processing.
  • Nespressointroduced new capsules made of 80% recycled aluminium, an important step towards cyclic processing.
  • Since 2019, Nestlé's water business across its U.S. still water range has doubled the amount of recycled PET (rPET) bottles used to 16.5%.


Axis 2: Building a waste-free future

  • Nestlé Philippines achieved plastic neutrality in August 2002. This means that Nestlé collected and jointly processed the equivalent amount of plastic that was present in the products sold and prevented further plastic flow to landfills and oceans.
  • Nestlé, together withProject STOP, isbuilding a sustainable waste management system and helping to reduce plastic pollution in the ocean in Indonesia.
  • Nestlé also launched a trial to collect, sort and process so-called softplasticsin Australia – plastic bags and packaging film.
  • Nestlé expands reusable and refillable capabilities for its Petcare and soluble coffee products, for example by collaborating with start-up company MIWA in Switzerland.
  • Nestlé supports the development and implementation of accessible and effective mandatory extended producer responsibility schemes. The company has identified 20 countries, accounting for 50% of the company's plastic use, where Nestlé will support the recycling rate and waste management infrastructure.


Direction 3: Leading a new behavioral model

  • Nestlé is introducing a sustainable packaging education and training programme for more than 290,000 employees to accelerate behavioural change and help the company meet its packaging targets.
  • Nestlé introduced a digital platformto help consumers in Italy dispose of their packaging waste appropriately.
  • Nescafé Dolce Gusto launched a consumer education campaign to promote recycling in Germany and Mexico.
  • Nestlé is driving positive change through school programmes such asthe TunuyanVerde project in Argentina.
  • Leading users of refillable and reusable packaging solutions,Algramo(Chile), MIWA(Switzerland) and Loop( France)offer a new shopping experience.

In addition, the company announced that it was trying to identify and support innovative solutions through the Nestlé Prize for Shared ValueCreation (CSV),which is announced on 30 September. In cooperation with the non-profit organisation Ashoka, Nestlé, the CSV Award will provide a grant of CHF 250 000 for the innovation of system changes in areas such as alternative delivery systems and basic solutions to combat plastic waste.

The development and testing of new, more environmentally friendly packaging materials is carried out by theNestlé Institute of Packaging Sciences,the first such company in the food industry. The institute is made up of about 50 scientists who conduct advanced packaging research to ensure the safety and applicability of new materials. The results of the study include new refillable or reusable systems, simplified materials, high-performance packaging papers and the introduction of more recycled content in Nestlé packaging. The Institute works closely with more than 180 packaging experts included in Nestlé's global R&D network, as well as with research institutions, start-ups and suppliers. Nestlé will continue to introduce alternative packaging materials and new delivery systems, continue to invest in infrastructure and work with consumers to help overcome the waste packaging waste challenge.