We aim to pilot and bring to market new packaging solutions that deliver safety, quality, performance and sustainability.
Thanks to this partnership with Carbios, we achieved the great challenge of combining quality, iconic design and sustainability.Jean-Francois Briois Head of Packaging Material Science & Environmental Sustainability, Nestlé Waters Global R&D
Advancing recycling through industry collaboration
Experts at our research and development center for Waters in Vittel, France, have been working on a 100% recyclable PET prototype for Perrier bottles using innovative enzymatic recycling technology as part of the Carbios global consortium. We joined forces with other industry colleagues to help transform the future of plastic packaging.
The consortium, which includes members from L'Oréal, Suntory Beverage & Food Europe and PepsiCo, is helping to ensure a good supply of 100% recycled food-grade PET plastics worldwide through industry adoption of the enzymatic technology.
This is part of our efforts to help engineer and introduce novel technologies to improve packaging sustainability – for our products, and for others.
Improving sustainability while retaining a strong brand identity
Thanks to this partnership with Carbios, we achieved the great challenge of combining quality, iconic design and sustainability. Using the innovative enzymatic process, R&D scientists were able to produce the first 50cl Perrier prototype bottles made from colored recycled PET materials that could withstand the pressure from carbonated water. The enzymatic recycling technology allows Perrier's iconic green bottles to be recycled multiple times, while retaining the properties of virgin plastics.
The process is ground-breaking, because it can enable any type of PET plastic to be recycled, regardless of color or complexity. This will allow for more varied applications of recyclable plastic in future, helping our industry to produce packaging more responsibly and reduce plastic waste.
Transforming packaging for good
Creating these kinds of industry partnerships allows us to push the possibilities toward sustainable packaging. Collaborative R&D plays a key role in helping Nestlé shift from virgin plastics to food-grade recycled plastics. This in turn helps us achieve our commitments to reduce virgin plastic use and make sure our product packaging is designed for recycling. We’re proud that as of 2021, almost 75% of our plastic packaging is designed for recycling.
By 2025, 100% of our packaging will be recyclable or reusable and we will reduce our use of virgin plastics by one third.
