Nestlé Australia is committing to introduce the Australian Recycling Label across all of its locally made products, by 2020, to help consumers recycle their packaging correctly.
Nestlé has started to implement the new label, introduced on to Allen’s lollies in mid-August, beginning with Strawberries and Cream, and Snakes Alive.
Allen’s will also feature the REDcycle logo alongside the Australasian Recycling Label to educate consumers that its soft plastic packaging can be recycled via the in-store collection scheme.
Additional Nestlé products will start to include the new Australasian Recycling Label throughout 2018.
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Nestlé Australia CEO Sandra Martinez said Nestlé was proud to be adopting the Australasian Recycling Label to help consumers correctly recycle by providing information as to which bin packaging should go in, or whether it could be recycled via approved collection programs such as REDcycle.
“Consumers have good intentions when it comes to recycling but they need clearer information,” she said.
“The Australasian Recycling Label will help to remove confusion, increase recycling rates and decrease contamination in recycling streams by helping consumers navigate the process,” said Martinez.
The Australasian Recycling Label shows what needs to be done with each piece of a package to dispose of it in the best way.
It indicates if packaging is recyclable via kerbside recycling, conditionally recyclable if additional instructions are followed, such as being recycled via programs like REDcycle, or not recyclable.
Planet Ark deputy CEO Rebecca Gilling said the commitment from companies such as Nestlé was an important one.
“We need widespread commitment from industry to apply the Australasian Recycling Label if it’s to become effective in helping consumers improve their recycling habit,” said Gilling.
The announcement to adopt the Australasian Recycling Label follows Nestlé’s global ambition to make 100 per cent of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025.
To achieve its 2025 goal, Nestlé will focus on three core areas: eliminate non-recyclable plastics; encourage the use of plastics that allow better recycling rates; and eliminate or change complex combinations of packaging materials.