Nestle S A : pilots reusable and refillable dispensers to reduce single-use packaging
May 20, 2020 at 09:13 am EDT
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Nestle is piloting reusable and refillable dispensers for petcare and soluble coffee as part of its efforts to reduce single-use packaging.
The in-store dispensers offer consumers a shopping experience that is free of single-use packaging, along with flexibility and variety of product choice.
Consumers can bring reusable containers to purchase different types of Purina cat food and Nescafe soluble coffee. They can also digitally access product information that is typically found on packaging, such as ingredients, nutritional values and shelf life.
Working in collaboration with the start-up MIWA, Nestle recently piloted the reusable and refillable dispensers in three Nestle 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 Nestle 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.
Helene Lanctuit, R&D Packaging Lead at Nestle, 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 Nestle across several product categories. The company has already announced a pilot test for Refill Plus, a water dispenser using state-of-the-art technology, which allows consumers to personalize their water with sixty-four flavor combinations. In partnership with Terracycle, Nestle is rolling out Loop, a subscription home delivery service in the US and will also introduce it soon in France. Additionally, mini dispensers for Nescafe and Milo are available for the out-of-home segment in many countries around the world.
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, Nestle announced plans to reduce the use of virgin plastics by one third during the same time period.
Bernard Meunier, CEO of Nestle 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 Nestle, Senior Vice-President, says: 'As part of Nescafe'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 Nescafe experience at home.'
Nestlé S.A. is the world's leading agri-food group. Net sales break down by category of products as follows:
- powdered and liquid beverages (26.7%): soluble coffees (Nescafé and Starbucks brands), coffee in capsules (Nespresso), chocolate drinks (Nesquik, Milo, etc.), tea drinks (Nestea), etc.;
- pet food (20.3%): brands such as Purina, Friskies, Felix, etc.;
- pharmaceutical, nutrition and well-being products (16.4%): nutritional supplements (Resource, Boost, Nutren, Optifast, Peptamen brands, etc.), infant and maternal nutrition products (NAN, illuma, Cerelac, Nido, Gerber), ketogenic beverages (BrainXpert), (Nesquick, Fitness, Cheerios, Lion, etc.), etc.;
- ready meals and seasoning products (12.5%): frozen and chilled dishes (Lean Cuisine, Hot Pockets and Stouffer's brands), soups (Maggi), etc.;
- dairy products and ice cream (11.8%): powdered milk, sweetened condensed milk, yoghurt and cream desserts, ice cream (Nido, Nesvita, Carnation, La Laitière, Coffee Mate, Nestlé Ice Cream, Dreyers, Häagen-Dazs, Extrême brands, etc.);
- chocolates, sweets and biscuits (8.7%): Kit Kat, Smarties, Cailler, Terrafertil, etc. brands;
- bottled waters (3.6%): Nestlé Pure Life, Vittel, Perrier, S. Pellegrino, etc. brands.
Net sales are distributed geographically as follows: Switzerland (1.2%), France (3.8%), the United Kingdom (3.8%), Germany (2.4%), Europe (12.8%), the United States and Canada (35%), China (5.9%), Asia and Oceania (21.4%) and Latin America (13.7%).