Nestlé has announced that it will invest up to £1.6bn to shift from the use of virgin plastics to food-grade recycled plastics and to accelerate the development of innovative sustainable packaging solutions.

Building on its 2018 commitment to make 100 per cent of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025, Nestlé will reduce its use of virgin plastics by one third in the same period whilst working with others to advance the circular economy and endeavour to clean up plastic waste from oceans, lakes and rivers.

In addition, the company is boosting research into the area, and alongside inhouse research through the Nestlé Institute of Packaging Sciences, the company will launch a £200m sustainable packaging venture fund to invest in start-up companies that focus on these areas.

The two initiatives come as Nestlé’ attempts to make its packaging recyclable or reusable and reach a net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goal by 2050.

"No plastic should end up in landfill or as litter," said Mark Schneider, CEO of Nestlé. "Making recycled plastics safe for food is an enormous challenge for our industry. That is why in addition to minimising plastics use and collecting waste, we want to close the loop and make more plastics infinitely recyclable. We are taking bold steps to create a wider market for food-grade recycled plastics and boost innovation in the packaging industry. We welcome others to join us on this journey."

Nestlé recently came in both top and bottom ten lists of NGO appreciation.

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