Nestlé Malaysia today announced a breakthrough in the War on Plastic Waste, with a packaging innovation for its MILO UHT 125ml drink packs which will avoid 40 million plastic straws per year! The new packs, which will be rolled out throughout the fourth quarter of 2019 and will make Nestlé the first Food and Beverage Company in Malaysia to introduce paper straws for packaged drinks.
Juan Aranols, Chief Executive Officer, Nestlé (Malaysia) Berhad said, “Reducing plastic waste and mitigating climate change effects through advanced technology and product design, as well as consumer education, are a priority for us. This is the latest of our contributions to Nestlé’s pledge to make our packaging 100% recyclable or reusable by 2025. Our teams have worked very hard to successfully roll out a solution that is not only effective and scalable, but most importantly, one that meets Nestlé’s stringent product quality standards for the safety of consumers. This is all part of our commitment to continue searching aggressively for solutions in our on-going War on Plastic Waste.”
“It has not been simple. We had to ensure that the alternative straws are made from high quality material that fits packaging specifications, and remain sturdy when used, without posing any safety risks. We also had to identify suppliers who were capable of meeting our rigorous standards at the quantities required for high volume production. Following these efforts, we are truly pleased to be able to share this important innovation with our consumers,” said Ms Ng Su Yen, Business Executive Officer, Ready to Drink Business Unit, Nestlé (Malaysia) Berhad.
Following this pilot initiative, Nestlé Malaysia plans to roll out this packaging solution to its other MILO UHT variants in phases progressively with the ultimate objective of eliminating over 200 million plastic straws a year.
This is one of the many initiatives Nestlé Malaysia has in place in their War on Plastic Waste. The Group is continuously developing environmentally-friendly solutions. As a result of this, two thirds of Nestlé Malaysia’s total plastic packaging is currently designed for recycling.
Nestlé also continues to co-develop and test new environmentally friendly packaging materials and systems together with our development centres, suppliers, research institutions and start-ups.
In addition to innovating its packaging to be fully recyclable, Nestlé wants to inspire behaviour change to promote a waste-free future. Earlier this year, the Group eliminated all single-use plastic at Nestlé work sites and educated employees on the importance of recycling. The Group also held a nationwide beach clean-up, collecting over 5.6 tonnes of waste in nine locations across Malaysia, with over 600 Nestle employees participating.