The use of plastics has increased rapidly over the last fifty years. This has brought huge benefits, but the price to pay for it is also obvious. We must stop packaging from reaching landfills, oceans, lakes and rivers.
Here's why Nestlé joins the European Plastics Pact. The Pact will help Nestlé to achieve 100% use of recyclable or reusable packaging and reduce the use of primary plastics by a third by 2025.
The European Plastics Pact proposed by France and the Netherlands has the sole purpose of accelerating the transition to a circular plastics economy. This will end the total dependence on primary plastic, a plastic made of a non-renewable oil.
The pact brings together major companies, as well as non-governmental organisations and governments, which together committe to common goals by 2025 and go beyond the requirements of current legislation. These European objectives include:
- a reduction of at least 20 % in primary plastic products and packaging;
- increasing the collection and recycling capacity of plastic packaging in Europe by at least 25 %;
- an average increase of at least 30 % in the use of recycled plastic in packaging.
Marco Setembri, Head of Nestlé in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, said: "We are delighted to sign the European Pact. One of our common challenges is to create a circular economy by improving collection, sorting and recycling systems across Europe. Already today, new plastic bottles of "Vittel" are made from used ones. Tomorrow we want to make sure that other packages, such as our packages and bags, can also be recycled into new food packaging."
It's not going to be easy. Nestlé's main priority is product safety. All plastics used to package food must be suitable for food, which means that it must not contain any substances harmful to humans. Recycling processes will need to be improved to obtain recycled food plastics.
The problem for Nestlé and the food industry as a whole is the fact that it is currently cheaper to produce packaging from primary plastics than to use recycled food plastics. To overcome this, Nestlé recently announced the contribution of more than CHF 1,5 billion to the development of recycled food plastics. The intention is to send a clear signal to processing companies to focus on processed food materials and to help create a new market.
In order to further reduce the use of primary plastics, Nestlé is reviewing the ways in which products are delivered. Currently, the company is testing an unpackaged system for dispensing pet food Purina PetCare and soluble coffee "Nescafé". In addition, Nestlé cooperates with LOOP, a home delivery service that provides reusable packaging. The first products will soon be available in France.
To further accelerate this innovation process, Nestlé has set up a 250 million CHF Sustainable Packaging Fund, which focuses on start-ups developing packaging innovations, including new materials, refuelling systems and recycling solutions.