Steps towards a waste free future

On 15 January, Nestlé announced how it intends to achieve a waste-free future. The company is committed to the target of 100% of its packaging being recyclable or reusable by 2025.

Nestlé CEO Mark Schneider said: "Our vision and strategy guide the commitment and specific approach we have taken to reduce plastic packaging waste. Cooperation is absolutely essential, which is why we also ask consumers, business partners and all our Nestlé colleagues to do their bit."

Groundbreaking alternative materials

In December 2018, Nestlé announced the establishment of the Institute of Packaging Sciences. Here the company will develop and test various sustainable packaging materials and work with industrial partners to develop new packaging materials.

Between 2020 and 2025, Nestlé will gradually phase out the use of plastic packaging materials that are difficult or impossible to recycle worldwide. To achieve this, it is entering into partnerships with pioneering packaging specialists.

Shaping a waste-free future

Nestlé expressed its long-term ambition to prevent plastic from ending up in the environment in all activities worldwide. This way the company prevents further accumulation of plastics in nature and it reduces the amount of plastic even further.

Nestlé is also the first food company to work with the STOP Project. This is a leading initiative that was launched in Indonesia in 2017. It engages in partnerships with cities and governments in South East Asia to prevent even more plastic from ending up in the ocean.

Stimulating new behaviour

Reducing plastic waste requires a change in behaviour from all of us. Nestlé strives for lasting and decisive change. Nestlé knows that there is no better place to start than at the company itself.

●        All 4,200 Nestlé sites worldwide are committed to eliminating disposable plastic items that cannot be recycled. These items are replaced by materials that are easy to recycle or reuse.

●        Nestlé employees at all locations worldwide and at all levels within the organization will spend their volunteer days cleaning up litter and participate in cleaning activities on World Ocean Day on June 8, 2019. To set an example, Nestlé management and employees at the Swiss headquarters will voluntarily clean up the shores of Lake Geneva in May 2019.