World’s Largest Packaged Food Company Nestlé Bids Goodbye To Single-Use Plastic
Image via enchanted_fairy / Shutterstock.com
In an encouraging note for the environment, the world’s largest packaged food company Nestlé has announced plans to make 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025.
This involves ditching single-use plastic straws across its products starting February 2019 and exploring alternative materials to plastic through its Institute of Packaging Sciences, launched in December 2018.
Nestlé’s CEO Mark Schneider announced inside a press release, “Our broader vision and action plan outline our commitment and specific approach to addressing the plastics packaging waste issue.”
“While we are committed to pursuing recycling options where feasible, we know that 100% recyclability is not enough to successfully tackle the plastics waste crisis. We need to push the boundaries and do more. We are determined to look at every option to solve this complex challenge and embrace multiple solutions that can have an impact now. We believe in the value of recyclable and compostable paper-based materials and biodegradable polymers, in particular where recycling infrastructure does not exist.”
“Collective action is vital, which is why we are also engaging consumers, business partners and all of our Nestlé colleagues to play their part.”
Plastic bottles remain a major challenge for the brand, which currently makes billions from operating 100 various water-bottling plants in 34 countries.
Even though Nestlé Waters intends to increase the recycled PET content in its bottles to 35% by 2025, not all countries have the necessary infrastructure to recycle such packaging.
Similar to Starbucks’ investment into alternative cup packaging, Nestlé’s Institute of Packaging Sciences aspires to develop paper-based materials and biodegradable, or compostable, polymers that can be recycled, among other substitutes.
Recently, KFC France announced its ban on single-use plastic straws across all its 250 outlets, thereby joining fast food rival McDonald’s in the growing war against plastics.
[via Nestlé, main image via enchanted_fairy / Shutterstock.com]
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