Nestlé joins initiative to build compostable to-go cup

Nestlé has undertaken a number of initiative to tackle plastic waste, in line with its commitment to make 100% of its packaging recyclable or re-usable by 2025. It is now joining forces with other industry partners to help build a fully recyclable, compostable fibre cup as part of the NextGen Consortium and Cup Challenge.

The NextGen Consortium is a multi-industry global consortium that aims to advance the design, commercialisation and recovery of food packaging alternatives, and the NextGen Cup Challenge is the first initiative of the consortium. It calls on innovators, start-ups, suppliers and industry experts to join a global challenge to develop the next generation of recyclable, compostable, hot and cold, to-go, fibre cups.

Stefan Palzer, Nestlé Chief Technology Officer, said, “Solving the issue of plastic waste requires collaboration among many different stakeholders. We are excited to join the NextGen Consortium and Cup Challenge as it brings together start-ups, industry partners and suppliers to find an industry-wide, global packaging solution for sustainable to-go cups.”

The Challenge launched in October 2018 and winners will be announced this month, with up to six winners invited to enter an accelerator program to help scale up and commercialise their solutions. Winners will receive a portion of up to US$1 million in funding to help advance their idea through the supply chain and into consumers’ hands.

Both the Consortium and Challenge are managed by Closed Loop Partners, with Starbucks and McDonald’s as Founding Partners, The World Wildlife Fund as an Advisory Partner, and The Coca-Cola Company and Yum! Brands as Supporting Partners. Nestlé has also joined as a Supporting Partner.

Bridget Croke, Vice President of External Affairs at Closed Loop Partners, said, “We’re thrilled that Nestlé has joined the NextGen Consortium and Cup Challenge. This demonstrates their deep commitment to reducing plastic waste and bringing their expertise to the table to help advance the discovery of global, sustainable solutions.”

Between 2020 and 2025, Nestlé will phase out all plastics that are not recyclable or are hard to recycle for all its products worldwide. Some examples of its other initiatives include:

• Starting in February 2019, Nestlé will begin to eliminate all plastic straws from its products, using alternative materials like paper as well as innovative designs to reduce littering.
• Nestlé will start rolling out paper packaging for Nesquik in the first quarter of 2019 and for the Yes! snack bar in the second half of 2019. Smarties will start rolling out plastic-free packaging in 2019 and Milo will introduce paper-based pouches in 2020.

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