Nestle UK moves to 100% Recyclable Easter Egg Packaging

Nestle UK & Ireland is the first major confectioner to have converted to 100 percent recyclable packaging on its Easter egg confectioneries by replacing hard plastic with cardboard in its mug eggs as Easter eggs are creating 3,000 tonnes of UK waste each year. Nearly 86 million Easter eggs were sold in 2011, a market valued at £280 million ($445 million). According to Nestle, the move is expected to save an estimated 726 tons of plastic waste going to landfill per year. Nestle has reduced the weight of packaging by 30-50 percent for small and medium-sized eggs. In 2009, the company became the first major confectioner to swap non-recyclable plastic with recyclable cardboard packaging in 20 million eggs – which is nearly 80%. Moreover, 100 tons of plastic were removed across the entire line in 2011.

The company in a statement said that the Yorkie, Munchies and Kit Kat Easter eggs which also include a branded mug were the last products to become 100 percent recyclable in its seasonal candy line. Certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, The 48 tonnes of plastic used to secure the mug and egg has been replaced with recyclable cardboard and a compostable film for the windows resulting in a 30 percent reduction in packaging in the mug eggs.

Nestle said that the eco-packaging project, which takes away all plastic packaging from all its eggs, is the first major confectioner to complete this task and took six years to complete. The Easter egg packaging news comes after the news that other packaging reduction efforts from Nestle UK which became the first major confectioner to achieve no artificial colors, flavors and preservatives in any of its products. These also include a redesigned refill packet for Nescafé coffee that now requires 50 percent fewer trucks per ton of coffee to transport the goods to retailers.

“Nestle carefully considers the environmental impact of packaging as an essential part of its product design. Since the early 1990s, we have been reducing the amount of packaging we use through our global source reduction program – eliminating unnecessary packaging and reducing weight while ensuring product quality, “David Rennie, Managing Director, Nestle Confectionery UK & Ireland, said.

Nestle UK moves to 100% Recyclable Easter Egg Packaging