Nestlé has introduced reusable packaging for three of its most popular products in France — the familiar Nesquik cocoa powder, Ricoré instant coffee and Chocapic Bio cereals. Customers will be able to purchase these products in reusable stainless steel containers through French supermarket Carrefour's online delivery platform and at 10 stores located around Paris.
Once they've consumed their contents, customers can then opt to have the containers collected from their home or return them in-store where they will be cleaned, refilled and sold again.
The initiative is being delivered in partnership with Loop, a company that helps brands replace single-use packaging with circular services. Founded by global recycling company TerraCycle, Loop aims to make reusing and returning containers as easy as throwing them away. All of Loop's reusable packaged products are currently available through its website in the USA, UK and France. The company will also be expanding this service to Canada, Germany, Japan and Australia by the end of 2021.
Nestlé's partnership with Loop is part of its larger commitment to become a more circular company. In 2019, Nestlé signed on as one of eight core partners of the Ellen MacArthur foundation's New Plastics Economy initiative. By bringing together key industry players to rethink and redesign packaging, this group hopes to create a circular economy for plastics. Nestlé has also committed to making 100 per cent of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025.
“Reusability involves profound changes in the way people shop and consume,” Antonia Wanner, Head of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Strategy and Deployment Unit at Nestlé, said.
“In collaboration with Loop, we have been introducing reusable options to our consumers for different types of products including ice cream, water and pet care. This new investment in Loop will help accelerate the delivery of products in zero-waste packaging. Reusable options are an important part of Nestlé’s broader set of actions to meet our commitment of making 100% of our packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025.”