Innovation:Nestlé’s Pure Life Bottles Now Include 50% Recycled PET (rPET)

 

Nestlé Nigeria has introduced new bottles including fifty percent recycled

polyethylene terephthalate (rPET), effectively reducing the use of virgin plastics in its packaging by 50%. This milestone in the company’s journey towards 100% plastics neutrality also ensures the last mile for plastics circularity.

Speaking on the journey towards plastics neutrality andthe significance of 50%

rPET inclusion in the Nestlé Pure Life bottles, Mr. Wassim, Elhusseini, MD/CEO of Nestlé Nigeria PLC said, “Since 2018, NestléNigeria has been working with

partners to recover as much plastic as we sell, based on a “one tonne in, one tonne out” principle. In 2021, we started on the stepby teaming upwith ALEF, to achieve our objective of cutting virgin plastic in our packaging by a third by 2025. Today, we are very proud to be the first to achieve this milestone of 50% rPET inclusion in our water bottles in Nigeria, thanks to the resilience of our team working with ALEF to produce food grade rPET in Nigeria. I also recognise and commend the regulatory agencies –NESREA, SON and NAFDAC who have ensured compliance to the highest standards.”

Nestlé Nigeria has beenatthe forefront of efforts to develop well-functioning

collection, sorting and recycling systems for PET in Nigeria, from the introduction

of innovative bottles to collaborating with other stakeholders for increased

collection while building an eco-system for recycling. ALEF was instrumental to

achieving the 50% rPET in Nestlé Pure Life bottles.

Mr. WissamRamlawi, Managing Directorof ALEFRecycling Companysaid, “This has been a long, rigorous journey for us, working with Nestlé’s technical and quality assurance teams to comply with Nestle’s very demanding standards and procedures. We also had the pleasure of working with regulators and our suppliers to achieve the desired food-grade quality standards for rPET”.

For Nestlé Pure Life, achieving 50% rPET in the bottles aligns with the brand’s

purpose.The Category and Marketing Manager, Nestlé Waters, Joy Abdulahi

Johnson said,“Because of our dedication torigoroussafety processes for all our

products, it has taken almost 2 years of painstaking diligence to launch the new

rPET bottle. In addition to consumer safety, we are always taking steps to minimise the impact of our production process on the environment. This launch could not have come at a better time as we are also introducing the new global identity for Nestlé Pure Life.As a brand, we are evolving for good.”

In his remark, the Honourable Minister for environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal

said, we commend such strategies that support environmental sustainability,

reduce already huge strain on natural resources while building local economies.

Nestléis committed to increasingthe amount of rPET it uses across its brands globally.In Nigeria, it is the first to achieve rPET inclusion in its Water brand. For more information on Nestlé’s sustainability efforts, please visit

https://www.nestle.com/sustainability/waste-reduction/actions-plastic-pollution