Our packaging strategy
Our vision is that none of our packaging ends up in landfills or as litter.
Our work includes reducing our use of virgin plastic, piloting reuse and refill systems, and supporting well-functioning collection, sorting and recycling schemes across the countries where we operate.
We recognize the global infrastructure gap is significant – and not in our immediate control – but we are actively working to support successful collection and resource recovery systems with partners around the world.
Participation from all levels of society is needed. As a member of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy initiative, we are committed to playing an active role in the development of well-functioning collection, sorting and recycling schemes across the countries where we operate.
We also welcome new laws and regulations being introduced to improve the environmental profile of packaging and speed up the development of necessary infrastructure to collect, sort and recycle materials.
We actively advocate for harmonized and better regulation of post-consumer resources and call on governments to accelerate progress on infrastructure development. We advocate for a legally binding UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution, which we hope will lead to new, harmonized national regulations.
How we are working to reduce our packaging
0.86
Million metric tonnes
* Recyclable. As defined in the Ellen McArthur Foundation definitions, a packaging or packaging component is recyclable if it is successfully post-consumer collected, sorted and recycled with a recycling rate of 30% in multiple regions, collectively representing more than 400 million inhabitants.
Reusable. Following ISO 18603, reusable is the characteristic of a product or packaging that has been conceived and designed to accomplish within its lifecycle an expected number of trips, rotations or uses for the same purpose for which it was conceived. The weight of reusable packaging is defined by the total weight of reusable packaging, divided by the number of expected rotations over the entire life of the package.
Compostable. According to ISO 18606, a material is compostable (home or industrial compostable) if through microbial activity its biodegradable components produce compost, also CO2 and water, and in the case of anaerobic digestion, also methane.
Learn more in the Environmental Disclosures section of our 2025 Non-Financial Statement (pdf, 12Mb).
Our five-pillar packaging strategy
Less packaging – Reduce
Less packaging – is about reducing our use of virgin packaging material in general.
We have developed a comprehensive roadmap featuring various strategic approaches to reduce our virgin plastics usage with public voluntary commitments since 2018. We eliminate unnecessary plastic packaging through redesign and innovation. We reduce the reliance on virgin plastic by increasing recycled content in our plastic packaging to support packaging circularity, minimize use of natural resources and support the creation of markets for recyclates. We support the shift from plastic to alternative materials like paper, particularly for hard-to-recycle packaging like flexibles.
Vital Proteins has removed plastic scoops across it’s portfolio in the US. We have completed the transition to 100% food grade recycled polyethylene terephthalate (excluding caps and labels), known as rPET, in our bottles used at our Glendale Arizona and Anderson Indiana factories facilities which produces several of our beverage brands, including Nesquick, ready to drink beverages. Today, every bottle of NUSA products from these two factories is produced from food-grade recycled plastic. Today, every bottle from these two factories is produced with 15 to 100% food-grade recycled plastic.
Nestlé has introduced recyclable paper packaging in selected products across multiple countries, including Nescafé, Kitkat, Maggi bouillon cubes, Nesquik and Smarties, often replacing multi-material wrappings that are hard to separate or recycle. At the same time, we have switched to paper straws in some of our products including Nesquik, Nescau, Milo and Nescafé.
Scaling up the use of recycled content
Nestlé is investing in deployment of recycled content in our packaging materials, in alignment with both government regulation and food safety standards. We strive to support a circular economy with our primary, secondary and tertiary packaging materials, in alignment with our packaging sustainability strategy. We use recycled content across our packaging materials mix ranging from fiber, metals, glass and plastics. As of year-end 2025, our primary, secondary and tertiary packaging materials hosted 40.8% recycled content by weight. We are continuing to build these efforts to grow recycled content use in appropriate applications over time.
Recycled content vs. virgin material in 2025
Percentage
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40.8% Recycled content
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59.2% Virgin material
Less packaging – Reuse and refill
To reduce the need for disposable packaging, we explore using innovative reusable and refillable packaging systems where it makes environmental and economic sense while fulfilling consumer needs. Widespread adoption of these systems requires industry collaboration & supportive legislation.
Reuse and refill are alternative delivery systems (ADS) in which packaging is either refilled and reused by a consumer, before it is returned to the manufacturer for cleaning, relabeling and reuse several times, before ultimately being recycled. Reuse models are generally divided into 2 broad categories, Refill and Return according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
In a reuse model, once the product has been consumed, the empty packaging is returned to a drop-off point or picked up at home as it is intended to be used multiple times without significant modification or loss of function. In a refill model, users refill their reusable container at home or on the go.
In the past years, we have had over+20 pilot consumer solutions in different markets around the world, that includes:
- Refillable dispensers in Indonesia, which have been developed with technical partner Algramo and non-profit incubators Enviu. The new systems have been piloted for Milo and Koko Krunch in partnership with local retailers in Indonesia.
- Reuse solution in Germany, we ran a pilot with Circolution. working in several grocery stores. The team tested new standardized reusable stainless-steel packaging for Nesquik, which can be integrated with existing return and cleaning infrastructure.
For our transport packaging, innovations have helped us replace the plastic shrink-wrap on our pallets, while switching to reusable shipping boxes, and big bags for interfactory reuse. We recognize that more needs to be done and are collectively working with different coalitions, such as Consumer Goods Forum and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. along the value chain to enable conditions to scale up reuse, including legislation to mandate reuse, standards for poor packaging, decarb of transport and consumer incentives.
Read more on what we are doing to tackle packaging waste.
Better packaging – Redesign
We are collaborating with industrial partners to develop new packaging materials and solutions. Better packaging means creating simpler, improved recyclable and innovative materials that keep products safe while working to ensure that the packaging is suitable for recycling systems, and aligned with them.
Across our portfolio, we are continually evaluating our materials and testing and introducing alternatives, such as recyclable paper for Maggi bouillon cubes in France, to replace multi-material wrappers, or compostable paper-based coffee pods to replace plastic with Nescafe Dolce Gusto. Dolce Gusto NEO pods in Brazil are certified for industrial composting. This means they can be properly processed at the end of their life, reducing landfill waste and helping lower carbon footprint while maintaining the quality and convenience consumers expect.
By the end of 2025, 87.5% of our plastic packaging had been designed for recycling. We continued to improve the recyclability of our plastic packaging and will keep building on these efforts, including by supporting the development of collection and recycling infrastructure. Learn more in the Environmental Disclosures section of our 2025 Non-Financial Statement (pdf, 12Mb).
Better system – Recycle
We are continuing our efforts across our global operations to prevent plastic waste from leaking into the open environment.
We support collection, sorting and recycling infrastructure in the countries where our products are sold. Our comprehensive recovery and recycling efforts will be scaled in countries where developing waste systems mean our partnerships and investments can drive the greatest progress toward a circular future.
These efforts build on previous learning and successes of Nestle such as our effort in Ecuador, where formal waste management infrastructure is limited. In Quito, Ecuador, we have been working to strengthen the role of informal waste collectors, known locally as recicladores, and integrating them into structured circular systems. Working alongside long-standing partners RENAREC (the national network of waste pickers) and GIRA (a circular economy social enterprise) we aim to deliver aninclusive model of material recovery. More on: Creating Shared Value at Nestlé 2025 (pdf, 6Mb).
In Indonesia, the Nestlé Waste Station initiative has seen the installation of waste collection points in major cities like Jakarta and Surabaya, promoting household waste segregation and responsible disposal.
Nespresso France’s capsule recycling program, launched in 2008 with returns initially available through our boutiques, has since expanded into a nationwide network offering over 14 000 drop‑off points – including boutiques, partner retailers, and waste centers – along with a specialized mail‑in service. Today, this system provides recycling accessibility to 80-93% of the population.
Better system – Rethinking behaviors
Addressing the plastic waste challenge requires fundamental behavioral change from all of us, including Nestlé, retail partners, suppliers and consumers.
We run global training programs to drive Nestle packaging sustainability strategy and our roadmap for less packaging, better packaging and better systems while enhancing employees’ skills in packaging circularity. Local examples include Nespresso’s capsule collection program videos, the Dove Lo Butto digital platform in Italy, which helps customers identify the nearest location to dispose of their packaging waste, and Nescafé Dolce Gusto consumer education campaigns in Germany and Mexico.
In the United States, Nestlé Health Science has eliminated hard-to-collect and recycle over-cap seals for many vitamins and supplements. Our brands Pure Encapsulations and Atrium Innovations supported the innovation with a digital campaign. In Brazil, France and Switzerland our coffee brands Nescafe Dolce Gusto and Nespresso launched compostable coffee pods. A digital campaign, together with on-pack information encouraging the separation of household organic waste and compostable materials, raised awareness among consumers.
On our packaging, we are working to standardize our back-of-pack communication globally for all products to ensure we help guide consumers on how to dispose packaging. This effort began in 2023 and continues on a rolling basis with each packaging redesign. This includes: a) Environmental claims (statements, symbols or graphics) for packaging that indicates an environmental aspect of our packaging or a component of the packaging (e.g., recycled content); b) Material composition of the packaging to facilitate consumer sorting; c) Disposal instructions; d) Information on the end-of-life of packaging (e.g., recyclable, reusable), including the logo depicting packaging waste management programs established in partnership with third parties.
