Business a.m
Nestlé Nigeria has taken a significant step forward in its journey towards achieving 100 per cent plastics neutrality by introducing new bottles made with 50 per cent recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET).
The company, through this move, said it has effectively reduced the use of virgin plastics in its packaging by 50 per cent, marking a milestone in its quest for sustainability.
Nestlé Nigeria also stated that it has been a leading player in efforts to develop functional collection, sorting, and recycling systems for PET in Nigeria through the introduction of innovative bottles and collaborated with other stakeholders to increase collection and build an ecosystem for recycling. The African Legacy Empowerment Foundation (ALEF) has also been instrumental in helping Nestlé Nigeria achieve the milestone of including 50 per cent rPET in Nestlé Pure Life bottles.
Wassim Elhusseini,Nestlé Nigeria’s managing director and chief executive officer, spoke about the company’s journey towards achieving plastics neutrality. He stated that since 2018, Nestlé Nigeria has been working with partners to recover as much plastic as it sells, following a ‘one tonne in, one tonne out’ principle.
“In 2021, we started on the step by teaming up with 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,” he said.
Elhusseini also recognised and commended the regulatory agencies including the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA),Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) who have ensured compliance to the highest standards.
In his statement, Wissam Ramlawi, the managing director of ALEF Recycling Company, acknowledged the long and demanding journey towards achieving Nestlé’s standards and procedures. He also mentioned the cooperation of regulators and suppliers in ensuring that the rPET met Nestlé’s rigorous food-grade quality standards.
Joy Abdulahi-Johnson, the category and marketing manager for Nestlé Waters, emphasised that the milestone of achieving 50 per cent rPET in Nestlé Pure Life bottles aligns with the brand’s purpose.
Abdulahi-Johnson added, “Because of our dedication to rigorous safety processes for all our products, it has taken almost two 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.”
Balarabe Abbas Lawal, the minister for environment, commended Nestlé for its sustainability strategy, which includes reducing its environmental impact. He noted that such initiatives can help to reduce the strain on natural resources and build local economies.
