Nestlé has unveiled a series of paper packaging innovations across its brands, including Nescafé and Vital Proteins, as part of its commitment to sustainable packaging. These efforts align with the company’s broader environmental goals, which focus on reducing the impact of packaging waste on water, soil quality, and biodiversity. Packaging is also the second-largest source of carbon emissions for Nestlé. To address this, the company aims to design 95% of its plastic packaging for recycling and reduce virgin plastic usage by one-third by 2025, compared to 2018 levels.

Gerhard Niederreiter, Head of Nestlé’s Institute of Packaging Sciences, explained that the company initially introduced paper-based packaging for its confectionery brands and is now expanding to more challenging categories. “When developing paper packaging, we consider each product’s sensitivity to external factors like oxygen, temperature, and moisture. We started with less sensitive products like Smarties and KitKat and are now moving into categories like coffee that require higher protection,” he said.

In the coffee category, Nestlé has launched a high-barrier paper refill pack for Nescafé in the UK, which reduces packaging waste by 97% while maintaining freshness. This pack can be recycled in local paper waste streams. Additionally, the Nescafé Cappuccino range in Europe now features fully recyclable paper-based packaging, replacing the previous plastic cans.

Axel Touzet, Head of Nestlé's Coffee Business Unit, noted the challenges of redesigning coffee packaging due to the product's sensitivity to oxygen and humidity. "We are committed to ensuring product freshness and quality while adopting sustainable, science-based solutions," he said.

For Vital Proteins in the U.S., Nestlé has introduced new paperboard canisters that reduce plastic usage by 90% compared to previous packaging. These canisters feature a proprietary coverlid that is leak-proof, spill-proof, and easy to open and close.

Nestlé’s global R&D network continues to collaborate with external partners and suppliers to develop the next generation of high-barrier paper packaging solutions across various product categories.