This content was prepared by Nestlé and is being published by NZME as advertorial.
Dairy farm part of global corporation’s NZ emissions plan.
Nestlé is actioning and accelerating its net-zero roadmap in New Zealand as part of its global responsibility to address climate change.
Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Nestlé Oceania, Margaret Stuart, says it is a commitment the company is taking seriously.
“In New Zealand, renewable electricity, improving packaging and working with dairy farmers all contribute to the overall plan,” says Stuart.
Stuart says Nestlé is already sourcing renewable electricity for its Nestlé New Zealand sites, reducing energy, water and waste in its factories, rethinking logistics, and making progress towards its commitment to have its packaging 100 per cent recyclable.
One of its best-known products, the four-finger KitKat, is now packed in wrappers using 30 per cent recycled plastic. Stuart says this was a first not only in New Zealand and Australia but for Nestlé globally.
“If we can find ways to turn waste into resource, through rethinking recycling, we can make a genuine difference. Our vision is that none of our packaging, including plastics, ends up in landfill, oceans, lakes or rivers,” she says. “We are working hard to deliver on this and help achieve a waste-free future.”
The company is also committed to featuring the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) on its packaging so people can know at a glance how to recycle correctly.
Stuart says recent research - the Nestlé Don’t Waste Your Waste study - revealed that while 97 per cent of New Zealanders are eager to recycle, 94 per cent still put one or more non-recyclable items in their recycling bin.
The survey revealed a number of recycling ‘mistakes’ including 37 per cent of people incorrectly putting plastic bags and soft plastics in their household recycling bins and 58 per cent failing to remove leftover food from pizza boxes before recycling.
“This research shows us that most New Zealanders are not only confused about recycling, but on autopilot and making simple mistakes repeatedly,” Stuart says. “If we’re going to improve our recycling systems – it’s part of the challenge.
“Some rely on plastic codes on packaging, but they only tell people what kind of plastic it is – not whether its colour or size might mean it can’t be processed.
“It’s clear that people need better information and clearer guidance on not just what should and shouldn’t go in household recycling bins, but how it should go in.”
Stuart says the ARL cuts through the confusion with simple instructions for each pack, whether they can be put into kerbside recycling bins or “conditionally” recycled - such as soft plastics which need to be dropped off in-store for collection.
She says it lets people know of any extra steps to take such as scrunching, folding or flattening to ensure the pack can be sorted properly and reduce what ends up in landfill. It also shows if something cannot be recycled and needs to go in the rubbish bin.
“It’s as simple as ‘Check it before you chuck it’,” she said.
Further afield, the Nestlé roadmap focuses on dairy – and New Zealand is key. Nestlé has partnered with Fonterra to help reduce New Zealand’s on-farm emissions as the company works towards a vision of dairy achieving net zero.
“Dairy is big for both Nestle and for New Zealand and the Fonterra partnership is one, albeit a significant, part of the Nestlé action plan,” says Stuart.
With dairy as Nestlé's single biggest ingredient, the move comes as part of a global commitment by the company to reduce its net carbon emissions across all its operations - including its supply chain - up to 50 per cent by 2030 and to net zero by 2050.
In Aotearoa, the dairy project is a partnership between Nestlé, Fonterra and the Dairy Trust Taranaki run on a 290-hectare property surrounding Fonterra’s Whareroa site.
Stuart says the Taranaki project will examine all aspects of farm operations and is part of a drive to develop a commercially viable net zero emissions dairy farm. It aims to cut emissions on the farm by 10 per cent by 2025, 30 per cent by 2027 and has an ambition to achieve net zero emissions in 10 years.
She says as well as working with dairy farms both here and overseas, Nestlé is engaged with up to 100 other partners and suppliers globally in pilot projects aimed at reducing emissions in dairy.
“Dairy is our single biggest ingredient and our vision is that the future for dairy can be net zero,” she says. “It’s critical we work with dairy farmers and their communities.”
Stuart says it and Nestlé's other global projects are examples of the importance the company places on helping its suppliers achieve reductions in carbon emissions. Only a small part of the emissions associated with Nestlé are directly under the company’s control and she says it is vital to work with suppliers to source ingredients sustainably to protect the ecosystem and enhance livelihoods.
The Fonterra/Nestlé partnership also includes the launch of a greenhouse gas farmer support pilot program. This multi-year project will see enrolled Fonterra supplying farms get additional support to implement changes aimed at lowering their on-farm emissions, which could include solutions such as improved management of feed and pasture and enhanced milk production efficiency.
For more information go to: www.nestle.co.nz/creating-shared-value/nestle-packaging