Nestlé Cereals has announced it is taking steps towards a more sustainable future by reducing the amount of packaging.
The new Cheerios Shreddies, Shredded Wheat, Shredded Wheat Bitesize and Honey Nut Shredded Wheat packs are now using between 13% and 15% less packaging than before, saving an estimated 618 tonnes of plastic and cardboard each year.
The reduced size will also mean fewer lorries to transport the products to stores, saving an estimated total of 115,000 road miles in the process – the equivalent of 4,400 marathons – and resulting in a reduction of 180 tonnes of CO₂ per annum.
The move to transform its packaging portfolio is part of Nestlé global commitment to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Gharry Eccles – Vice President UK & Oceania, Cereal Partners Worldwide (Nestlé & General Mills), commented: “We know sustainability is an issue close to people’s the hearts, and it’s close to ours too. We’re united in a mission to create a positive impact on the world around us, which is why we’ve revamped everything from our production lines, to our logistics processes to help make reductions in plastic and cardboard packaging and reduce our carbon footprint.
“Our goal has been to create the ‘perfect box’ and I’m extremely proud we have achieved this huge milestone in our journey to reduce our impact on the planet. This is all part of our mission to both reduce and improve our packaging and will complement our commitment to making 100% of our breakfast cereals’ packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025, which we are already well on our way to achieving.
“While the dimensions of our packs might have changed slightly, you can continue to enjoy the same breakfast cereals they know and love, while knowing excess packaging has been removed too.”
The introduction of Nestlé Cereals UK’s new on-shelf packaging is just the start of its journey, and there are plans for it to be rolled out across a selection of other brands produced in its UK facilities next year.