Nestlé Packaging
We are committed to a waste-free future.
We are helping create a future where cleverly designed packaging, innovative new materials, better recycling infrastructure and reusable or refillable packaging can prevent waste from contaminating the land and oceans. Reaching this goal requires participation from all levels of society. We are proud to be a catalyst for that change, inspiring a future where people and partners everywhere rethink how they engage with packaging.
Our vision is ambitious: A world in which none of Nestlé’s packaging, including plastics, ends up in landfill or as litter on land or in seas, oceans and waterways.
Our five-pillar packaging strategy
We are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to make simple, yet smart and sustainable packaging. This includes refillable designs, alternative delivery solutions and more recycled content. When considering the 'after-life' of our packaging, we are committed to helping to improve the recycling infrastructure where our products are sold, as well as encouraging people to do what they can to limit waste.
Our Institute of Packaging Science is the only research institute of its kind in the food industry. Set up in 2019, it already counts around 50 packaging experts dedicated to developing the next generation of sustainable packaging materials. It is helping evolve the way packaging is designed, from developing refillable or reusable packaging to using simplified or recycled packaging materials, high-performance barrier papers and bio-based, compostable and biodegradable materials.
Our strategy provides a structure for our entire team, including the Institute of Packaging Science and our many other packaging experts, researchers, product developers and our many partners to achieve our overall aims:
Less packaging
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1 Reducing our use of plastic packaging material We want to use less packaging material, including less virgin plastic. Examples of how we’re doing this include removing unnecessary plastic lids, accessories, layers and films.READ MORE ABOUT KITKAT: AUSTRALIA’S FIRST FOOD WRAPPED IN SOFT PLASTIC
KitKat is Australia’s first food wrapped in soft plastic made with recycled content. More than 40 million 45g KitKat bars will be packed in the 30% recycled content wrapper in the next year, cutting virgin plastic use by around 250,000m2.
Our Purina Australia team has changed its pet accessories and health hygiene packaging to remove more than 16 tonnes of non-recyclable or unnecessary plastic each year through small changes, such as switching virgin-nylon cable ties to paper ties, and swapping PET clamshell packaging for RFID stickers.
And our local Nestlé Professional team redesigned its 7-8kg gravy range pail, removing 30 tonnes of virgin plastic each year.
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2 Scaling reusable and refillable systems To reduce the need for disposable packaging, we are working hard to eliminate non-recyclable plastics and investing in innovative, alternative delivery systems.
Many of these solutions are already being used by Nestlé in other countries around the world, including a bulk delivery system for pet food, reusable containers for foods such as ice cream, and refill stations for products like coffee. We’re excited to be exploring some innovative solutions for Australia.
Better systems
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4 Supporting infrastructure that helps to make recycling easier Over and above delivering on our 2025 commitments, we have a longer-term ambition to help stop plastic leakage into the environment across our global operations.READ MORE ABOUT HOW WE’RE WORKING TOWARDS A BETTER FUTURE FOR SOFT PLASTICS
We are actively working towards a better future for soft plastics, initially improving collection of soft plastics with a kerbside recycling trial, and then creating a prototype KitKat wrapper made from Australia waste soft plastic to demonstrate the potential for a better future for soft plastics in Australia.
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5 Driving new behaviours Addressing the plastic waste challenge requires behaviour change from all of us, including Nestlé, consumers, retail partners and suppliers. We are committed to leading lasting and impactful change.FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE ARL
We are working to ensure our consumers know how to dispose of waste correctly. The Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) features on 94% of our local products, providing simple and easy to understand on-pack recycling information by showing which bin to recycle in. We work with external partners including governments, community groups and NGOs to support consumer education programs.
Nestlé Australia is member of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation and is committed to the Covenant’s principles of product stewardship and delivering against the Australian 2025 National Packaging Targets.
We integrate product stewardship into our business and report our performance and initiatives through our Australian Packaging Covenant Annual Report, available from APCO.