FMCG brands Nestlé and Mars have partnered with energy company Total and recycling companies Citeo and Recycling Technologies to develop an innovative industrial chemical recycling industry in France.
The companies will examine the technical and economic feasibility of recycling complex plastic waste including small, flexible and multilayered food-grade packaging, which are currently considered non-recyclable and are therefore either incinerated or disposed of in landfills.
“In line with Mars’s Circular Packaging Plan including the goal for 100 per cent plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025, we plan to reduce unnecessary packaging, redesign for circularity and invest to close the loop,” Kate Wylie, global vice president, sustainability at Mars said.
“Identifying and investing in the right waste management systems is a critical part of the solution to address the plastic waste problem. We support this new pyrolysis project in France to help identify circular systems for post-consumer plastic packaging and consequently increase the scale of recycling across Europe.”
Nestle is aiming for 100 per cent of its packaging to be reusable or recyclable by 2025 and is hopeful that by combining collective expertise they can tackle the waste issue.
The ambitious project is the first of its kind with world-leading players from across the plastic packaging value chain.