Nestlé cuts Christmas footprint

Nestlé hopes to reduce its Christmas footprint by 150 tonnes this year by reducing the amount of packaging used in its Christmas selection boxes.

Andy McQuade, Nestlé Confectionery's seasonal brand manager said that "while the number and size of chocolate bars in selection boxes remain the same as in 2007, the packaging is 40% smaller and 25% lighter than last year".

Nestlé has made its selection boxes from 75% recycled board and the plastic trays within the pack are made from recycled bottles.

Families will be encouraged to recycle the packs through an on-pack message.

Nestlé has addressed the sustainability issue across a range of its products. Quality Street's coloured Cellophane films are now compostable in a home compost bin, as are After Eights' individual sleeve wrappers.

According to figures from the Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap), UK households produce an additional five sacks of rubbish over the Christmas period.

Nestlé reduced the amount of packaging it used globally by 326,300 tonnes between 1991 and 2007.

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Nestlé selects NatureFlex for Quality Street

Nestlé has adopted Innovia Films' compostable NatureFlex for Quality Street sweets in time for the Christmas period.

The decision to use NatureFlex, following 18 months of testing, forms part of Nestlé UK's packaging reduction and sustainability objectives.

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Nestlé to remove plastic from 80% of Easter egg packs

Nestlé is to remove the plastic packaging from 80% of its shell eggs to be launched next Easter.

The firm will secure the Easter eggs in their boxes in a fully recyclable card tray that is sourced from sustainable forests.

Nestlé said the move is part of a drive to reduce both plastic and card packaging across the whole range of shell eggs and equates to an overall reduction of 30%, surpassing the Waste & Resources Action Programme (Wrap) industry agreement to reduce medium egg carton weights by 25%.

The firm has also removed the plastic wrappers from the white chocolate drops and sweets inside the new Milkybar Shaker Egg and Smarties Shaker Egg.

Kit Kat Chunky, Aero, Smarties and Rolo medium eggs will also contain 25% less packaging and include on-pack recycling information that is clear and easy for children to understand.

Nestlé UK trade communication manager Graham Walker said the changes to the spring 2009 range "will support the environment by resulting in 700 tonnes less waste, and also benefit retailers as packaging reductions will maximise distribution efficiency and shelf utilisation".

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