Nestlé said it is investing up to CHF 2 billion (Swiss franc) to lead the shift from virgin plastics to food-grade recycled plastics and accelerate the development of innovative sustainable packaging solutions.
Building on its 2018 commitment to make 100 percent of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025, Nestlé will reduce its use of virgin plastics by a third in the same period while working with others to advance the circular economy and endeavor to clean up plastic waste from oceans, lakes and rivers.
Food quality and safety are paramount, and packaging plays a major role in assuring this. Most plastics are difficult to recycle for food packaging, leading to a limited supply of food-grade recycled plastics. To create a market, Nestlé says it is committed to sourcing up to 2 million metric tons of food-grade recycled plastics and allocating more than CHF1.5 billion to pay a premium for these materials between now and 2025.
“No plastic should end up in landfill or as litter,” said Mark Schneider, CEO of Nestlé. “Making recycled plastics safe for food is an enormous challenge for our industry. That is why in addition to minimizing plastics use and collecting waste, we want to close the loop and make more plastics infinitely recyclable. We are taking bold steps to create a wider market for food-grade recycled plastics and boost innovation in the packaging industry. We welcome others to join us on this journey.”