Nestlé removable label collaboration delivers recyclability in Chilean yogurt market

10 Oct 2019 --- Nestlé and flexible packaging supplier Emsur Argentina have raised the sustainability bar in the Chilean yogurt market with the introduction of a removable label, which can be easily peeled off supplier Coexpan Chile’s pots without leaving any residue. This solution makes it easier for consumers to recycle their yogurt pots through existing recycling sites across Chile and represents another step forward for the two plastic divisions of Grupo Lantero - the parent company of Emsur - in its goal to foster circular economy principles.

The unique feature of this banderole is its releasing layer. The releasing layer enables users to remove the label without tearing the paper so it is easier to separate it from the container, thus contributing to the recyclability of plastics. This is another breakthrough for Nestlé in its commitment to making 100 percent of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025.

There are two structures available for this banderole - monolayer or duplex - to meet the needs of different market segments such as yogurts, desserts or beverages. This solution is commercially available in Chile for the Nestlé Batido brand and the multinational has launched an extensive communications campaign to mentor people in how to recycle properly with this packaging solution.

More information is available on the Nestlé website where they have released a special landing page to inform yogurt consumers about how to recycle and where the waste recycling sites are.

Approximately 1,200 metric tons of plastic could now be recycled thanks to this initiative, a figure that can only be achieved if everyone disposes of their pots responsibly at the recycling sites set up by TriCiclos, Emsur says. TriCiclos is an engineering and consulting company that has provided 39 sites throughout Chile with new special waste disposal containers for Nestlé Batido pots.

Emsur, with nine plants around the globe, showcased this innovation at Latinpack 2018. Its facility in Argentina is one of the country’s leading manufacturers of flexible packaging for the dairy industry and it also produces packaging for other markets such as snacks, bakery and confectionery or home and personal care. The company’s expertise lies in sleeves, multi-layer sheets with medium to high barrier protection, as well as a wide variety of printing effects and finishes.

COEXPAN, specialized in rigid plastic sheet and thermoformed products, contributes to this Nestlé project to allow the recyclability of its PS pot. The company is highly focused on the recyclability of plastics and also participates as a strategic partner in the LIFE EPS-SURE Project, an initiative backed by the European Commission through the LIFE+ Programme. It seeks to produce new high added value Polystyrene (PS) products suitable for food contact after collecting, pre-treating and recycling Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) waste. Cicloplast, an association that integrates all the plastic sector companies in Spain is in charge of coordinating the EPS-SURE Project in which ANAPE, COEXPAN, El Corte Inglés and Total Petrochemicals Iberica all take part.

Edited by Joshua Poole