Nestlé is doing its part for the environment.
The company has made a global commitment to make 100% of their packaging either recyclable or reusable by the year 2025.
And, as part of that commitment, Nestlé Trinidad and Tobago recently announced that they will replace litter-prone plastic straws with sustainably sourced paper straws across their entire range of juice and dairy products.
Nestlé is the first company in the Trinidad and Tobago to make this environmental shift, and the ORCHARD® brand takes lead as the first brand within their family to undergo the paper straw innovation in the region; a change which challenges consumers to step away from what we’ve all grown accustomed to, and rethink the way we drink, in favour of the sustainability of our globe.
This change, according to a release, will result in an 89% reduction in plastic used in traditional plastic straws at their Valsayn factory with the elimination of 45 million plastic straws, annually.
Patricio Torres, Nestlé Head of Market for the Anglo Dutch Caribbean Region (ADC), said during their virtual launch that “This was not an easy job, especially given the challenges faced in 2020 within the context of COVID-19. As a team, we kept our commitment to deliver the best product not just for consumers, but for our planet. This is very close to our hearts, and our purpose as a company.”
He thanked the entire team who has been working on this milestone for more than a year, “That allows us to eliminate approximately 45 million plastic straws from the environment annually.”
The new paper straws are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) ensuring that they come from responsibly managed forests, and maintain the U-shaped bend of the previous plastic straw. The straws are designed for recycling within the beverage container and should be pushed back into the pack and placed in beverage container recycling bins for disposal.
Elisa Doldron, Business Executive Officer for Dairy, Juices and RTD Beverages shared that Nestlé’s call to rethink the way we drink through our paper straw innovation was only the first step in igniting the recycling revolution in the Caribbean. The company will continue working on a series of initiatives aimed at further sustainability and reductions in packaging material. Up next – the transition to a paper straw wrap which will encase the paper straw on pack.
Elisa indicated that production design testing for this innovation which will complement the paper straw is already well underway and highlighted that “Our paper straw and recycling initiative is being led by our iconic local brand Nestlé ORCHARD® – a brand which has never been afraid to take bold steps and risks that would ultimately result in progress.” As part of ORCHARD’s® sustainable packaging commitment, our all-local brand will invest in and collaborate with partners responsible for collecting and recycling its packaging once received by consumers. And as for consumers, ORCHARD® will soon launch an education campaign teaching them how to recycle, where to recycle, and the reasons why they should, working to close the loop on the entire recycling process.
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