By Rafiq Vayani
DUBAI: Nearly 1,000 Nestlé volunteers teamed up with local authorities and NGOs in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and in North African countries to raise awareness and inspire responsible disposal of waste by cleaning up beaches and other water areas. More than 25 tons of waste were collected, for sorting and recycling through local partners. The activities, held on World Oceans Day which is celebrated every June 8th since 1992, were part of a global Nestlé employee volunteering initiative in more than 45 countries.
“I am excited to see so many engaged employees and their families gathered to #CleanUpTogether,” said Yves Manghardt, Nestlé Middle East Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Through this internal volunteering initiative, we aim to foster responsible behavior, as change starts with ourselves.”
100% Reusable or Recyclable
Nestlé had announced last year its commitment to have 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025. This will also entail that none of its packaging, plastics included, ends up in landfills or as litter.
Fully committed to improve packaging and reduce waste
“We have a broader vision and action plan that outline our commitment to address the plastics packaging waste issue,” added Manghardt. “While we are committed to pursuing recycling options where feasible, we know that 100% recyclability is not enough to successfully tackle the waste issue. We need to push the boundaries and do more.”
Stop plastic leakage
Nestlé is also playing an active role in developing plastics collection, sorting and recycling schemes across the region, where it’s contributing to industry coalitions that aim to create circular economies. Over and above delivering on its 2025 commitment, Nestlé has a longer-term ambition to stop plastic leakage into the environment across its global operations.
Pioneering alternative materials
In December 2018, Nestlé announced the creation of its Institute of Packaging Sciences in Switzerland to evaluate and develop various sustainable packaging materials and to collaborate with industrial partners to develop new packaging materials and solutions.
Nestlé will phase out all plastics that are not recyclable or reusable for all its products worldwide by the year 2025. In doing so, Nestlé is rolling out alternative packaging materials across its global product portfolio and establishing partnerships with cutting-edge packaging specialists.
