We continue to participate in the development of new
materials produced from sustainably managed renewable
resources, such as biobased7 plastics and fibre-based
materials, and assess their potential environmental benefits,
functional performance, availability and cost so that we can
select the most appropriate applications for Nestlé.
Currently, the applications using biobased plastics present in
the market include:
• Nestlé Brazil uses bio-PE in caps and the inner liner of
beverage cartons;
• Nestlé Waters Italy uses bio-PET in Levissima bottles; and
• In the UK, Quality Street continues to use Natureflex
cellophane for its twist wraps. We also use the same
material in window cartons for Smarties and approximately
20 other projects are currently under evaluation.
Over the long term, our focus will be on third-generation
bioplastics (see table below) and fibre-based materials
typically sourced from plant matter such as wood, grass and
reeds, algae and agricultural by-products (e.g. cereal husks),
all of which don’t compete with food for land. Each will be
assessed on a case-by-case basis with respect to
environmental credentials, regional and local impacts,
consumer expectations and effects on food security.