Nestlé’s reusable dispensers crowns march for cutting plastic waste

27 / 05 / 2020

By Marwa Nassar - -

Nestlé is piloting reusable and refillable dispensers for petcare and soluble coffee within the framework of the company’s efforts to cut virgin plastic use in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Working in collaboration with the start-up MIWA, Nestlé recently piloted the reusable and refillable dispensers in three Nestlé shops located in Rorschach, Orbe and La Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland.

During a four-month trial period, the dispensers were well received by consumers and Nestlé was able to gain valuable insights including the user-friendliness.

To further assess the dispensers’ effectiveness in preventing packaging waste along the supply chain, the dispensers are now being rolled out across more locations in the next few months.

Hélène Lanctuit, R&D Packaging Lead at Nestlé, says: “Packaging plays a key role in maintaining food safety during a product’s shelf life. This means that whenever new packaging systems are explored we need to ensure that our products can be delivered to consumers in a safe and hygienic manner. These dispensers are novel because they incorporate smart technology which allows us to ensure product safety, and also guarantee the freshness and traceability of our products.”

The development of innovative, alternative delivery systems such as bulk, reuse and refill options are a key focus area for Nestlé across several product categories.

These innovative systems are part of a broader set of actions to reduce single-use packaging. Building on its commitment to make 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025, Nestlé announced plans to reduce the use of virgin plastics by one third during the same time period.

Bernard Meunier, CEO of Nestlé Purina Petcare EMENA, says: “At Purina, our teams are focused on designing our products and packaging for a more sustainable future. This pilot marks an important step forward in our efforts towards waste reduction and we are proud to play a leading role in testing these innovative dispensers. Offering pet owners the option of using safe reusable and refillable dispensers in-store can help us improve our environmental impact while still providing great quality nutrition for pets.”

Philipp Navratil, Global Head of Beverage Strategic Business Unit at Nestlé, Senior Vice-President, says: “As part of Nescafé’s packaging transformation journey, we have been working hard to rethink how we design our packaging for better environmental impact. We are excited to work on a refilling option made possible by our in-store dispensing system for our consumers who want to enjoy their Nescafé experience at home.”

Nestlé has been keen to play a pivotal role in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, especially with regard to cutting single-use plastics which cause grave harm to the environment..