Nestlé's Paper Innovation: A Step Towards a Greener Future

Nestle is part of that movement, announcing new eco-friendly packaging for some of the world's most popular brands, a drive toward sustainability. According to a report, in support of the effort to decrease its environmental footprint, the Swiss multinational said it would focus efforts on increasing recyclability and cutting plastic waste in packaging. Taking the commitment of sustainability in the long run, Nestle commits itself to making 95% of its plastic packaging recyclable and to reduce new plastics by one-third by the end of 2025. Paper-Based Packaging for the Vital Proteins This is indeed one of the significant changes under Nestlé's packaging transformation, as it introduces paperboard canisters for its Vital Proteins offerings in the U.S. Indeed, these new canisters replace plastic containers that had always been used for the range of collagen-based supplements from the brand. Indeed, by switching to paperboard packaging, Nestle has managed to reduce plastic usage by 90%, a very high mark for the company in sustainability efforts. That the canisters of paperboard are eco-friendly and consumer-friendly at the same time is an undeniable fact. They are packages meant to be easy to use, and therefore, they let customers simply open or close the canisters without the security of the product in question being compromised. This packaging solution comes from Nestlé's New Jersey Research Centre in partnership with external partners, putting into consideration several ways of reducing environmental impact yet keeping functionality provided by the customer. New Recyclable Packaging for Nescafé Nestlé's iconic coffee brand, Nescafé, has turned its packaging on its head as it looks to help lead the fight against plastic waste. Nescafé is launching a high-barrier recyclable paper refill for Nescafé products across the UK market, enabling customers to reduce packaging waste by as much as 97 per cent by simply refilling their existing glass coffee jars at home. With a paper-based refill, it ensures that the coffee does not stale and offers consumers a practical and sustainable alternative in reducing their ecological footprint. The Nescafé Cappuccino range has also been converted in Europe from plastic to paper. Packaging for these products is now 100% recyclable, thereby supporting the goal of Nestlé in minimizing plastics use. These packaging innovations from Nescafé well represent Nestlé's approach towards packaging without compromise on the quality and freshness of products. Solution to Coffee Packaging Challenges One of the biggest challenges Nestlé faces in its drive toward sustainable packaging is ensuring that products, especially coffee, stay fresh despite being packaged in more environment-friendly materials. Coffee is a very sensitive product to air and moisture, and its ruining can affect a whole cup of coffee if it is not packaged well. To overcome this, Nestlé's global research teams have partnered with external partners and other innovative businesses to design customized packaging solutions that meet the specific requirements of coffee products. This has resulted in the company offering high-barrier paper packaging that keeps the coffee away from air and moisture yet is recyclable. Global Research and Innovation in Packaging Nestlé's work in sustainable packaging is complemented by extensive research and development. The company has research centers across the globe: one located in Switzerland and the other in the U.S. Teams are dedicated to finding innovative solutions to reduce plastic waste. With the help of external partners, Nestlé was able to bring to the market paper-based packaging that could meet the demand of its broad portfolio of products while answering their sustainability objectives. This is part of a broader approach to minimizing its environmental footprint. Besides cutting plastic, Nestlé is also working to simplify the recyclability of its packaging materials. Apart from being a pioneer in developing packaging materials that can be recycled, it is also working with governments, NGOs, and other stakeholders to enhance the recycling infrastructure throughout the world. Nestlé's 2025 Sustainability Goals This is part of Nestle's wider sustainability strategy: by 2025, the company wants to ensure that 95% of its plastic packaging will be recyclable, reducing new plastic by one-third in use. The announcement falls in line with Nestle's broader commitment to reduce the environmental footprint and do its share of helping to tackle plastic pollution worldwide. All this will require innovation and collaboration from the supply chain. Nestlé is particularly collaborating with suppliers, researchers, and industry experts on the development of packaging solutions that both enjoy consumer needs and are beneficial in terms of environment sensitivity. This type of collaborative approach is required to create such elaborate challenges in developing sustainable packaging for food and beverage products. Future: Future Developments on Packaging Within Nestlé As consumers continue to demand sustainable products, it will surely play a major part in the future performance of Nestlé regarding the advancement of environmentally friendly packaging solutions. All directions are heading towards paper-based packaging and recyclability under the guidelines where sustainability takes priority among food and beverage industry targets. Nestlé is just one of the few companies that have done their part to pave the way for market leadership with regard to sustainable packaging innovations by investing in research and development and collaborating with other innovative businesses. Upon its journey toward its 2025 targets regarding sustainability, it will also face the challenge of balancing functionality and environmental responsibility and maintaining the quality of its products. Based on the launch of new packaging for brands like Vital Proteins and Nescafé, Nestlé only set off in the right direction regarding much more sustainable operations. Moving forward in terms of innovation with the research of new materials, it will be more likely that more of its products will take on eco-friendly packaging solutions in the coming years. Conclusion Latest initiatives to develop sustainable packaging solutions are yet another aspect of Nestlé's work towards minimizing plastics waste and enhancing recyclability. It is well evident in the introduction of paperboard canisters for Vital Proteins and the rollout of recyclable paper-based packaging for Nescafé products, which help the company meet its 2025 sustainability targets. As Nestlé invests more into research and innovation, the company will be in a position to continue cutting across the environmental footprint even as it gives the consumers what they need, practical and sustainable packaging. Source: Nestle