Key actions to fight plastic pollution
Plastic waste that accumulates in landfills and the environment is one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time.
Plastic waste endangers wildlife and threatens ecosystems and the food chain. We see plastic pollution as an urgent priority.
We can’t solve this problem alone, so we are collaborating with other companies, research institutes and governments around the world to identify ways to collectively reduce plastic waste in the environment.
Globally supporting a future where no Nestlé plastic packaging ends up in landfill or the ocean
83.5
%
14.9
%
95
%
Taking action to fight plastic pollution
Our aim is to use less virgin fossil-fuel-based plastic in our packaging. By eliminating unnecessary plastic (from tear-off bands to single-use items like straws), introducing reusable and refillable alternatives and switching to paper, bio-based and biodegradable materials, we are already reducing our plastic footprint.
As of the end of 2023, 83.5% of our plastic packaging could be recycled and we expect to reach more than 95% by 2025. We remain committed to achieving 100%. We are on track to reduce the use of newly made (virgin) plastic by one-third by 2025.
But our actions extend beyond the materials we use in our packaging. To help prevent our packaging from ending up in landfills, we are working to make recycling easier, by supporting infrastructure improvements and encouraging people to do what they can to tackle plastic pollution.
Creating change like this beyond our own operations requires strong collaboration. We are part of the Consumer Goods Forum’s Plastic Waste Coalition for Action, the World Economic Forum’s Global Plastic Action Partnership and Plastic PACTS around the world. This highlights our aim to lead voluntary action by companies in this space.
In 2019, we joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's New Plastics Economy initiative. We pledged to work across the industry to create a circular economy for plastic, starting with packaging. We are eliminating unnecessary plastic in our packaging and innovating to make the plastic that we do need recyclable and reusable.
We are continuing to support governments by actively advocating for harmonized and better regulation to accelerate infrastructure development in markets where we operate. We advocate for a legally binding UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution and are an active member of advocacy group, the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty.
Substituting hard-to-recycle materials with paper
Nestlé has introduced recyclable paper packaging for products including Maggi bouillon cubes, Nesquik, KitKat, Nescafé and others, often replacing multi-material wrappings that are hard to separate or recycle. At the same time, we have switched to paper straws for Nesquik, Nescau, Milo and Nescafé.
In 2021, Smarties became the first global Nestlé confectionery brand to switch to recyclable paper packaging. In 2022, Quality Street followed suit, introducing recyclable FSC-certified paper packaging for its twist-wrapped sweets worldwide.
Facilitating a global market for food-grade recycled plastics
Nestlé is investing up to CHF 2 billion to accelerate the development of more sustainable packaging and the infrastructure to support a circular economy for packaging materials.
Many plastics are difficult to recycle into food-grade packaging, creating a limited supply of food-grade recycled plastics. While this work gathers pace, we are committed to paying up to CHF 1.5 billion in premiums for food-grade recycled plastics up to 2025 to help stimulate a market for these materials.
There is power in collaboration, and we know that by joining forces, collectively we can have even greater influence over the recycling rate of pods.
