Nestlé UK - Case study: Reducing packaging
Nestlé has been reducing the amount of packaging it produces since the early
1990s through a global source reduction programme. More than half of Nestlé's
packaging in the UK and Ireland is recyclable and is constantly reviewed to
further
reduce the amount of packaging used.
Nestlé UK and Ireland (food and beverage, confectionery and food services
divisions) has a target to reduce packaging by 10% by 2010, against a 2006
baseline.
Nestlé is the first major confectionery company to remove plastic inserts from
80% of its Easter Eggs (200 million eggs), making them much easier for
consumers
to recycle. Packaging has been cut on every egg sold, with an overall 30%
reduction across the range. The changes resulted in over 700 tonnes less waste
being
sent to landfill.
The boxes of small and medium eggs have been reduced by 25 per cent and the
traditional plastic inserts have been replaced with 100 per cent recyclable
card
trays to secure the egg.
From 2007, the back of Smarties and Kit Kat medium Easter egg packs have been
given over to encouraging children to recycle the packaging as well as
providing
tips and hints on recycling.
Nestlé Waters UK is a leader in the beverage industry in reducing the amount of
plastic in bottles. Its Buxton half litre bottle is, at 14.8g, one of the
lightest bottles on the UK market. In 2008, it reduced the amount of PET in
this
bottle by 1.2g compared to 2007.
In 2009, the company reduced the weight of its 100gm Nescafé coffee jars, which
will save around 480 tonnes of glass annually.
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