Swiss food and beverage giant Nestlé (Vevey; www.nestle.com) is establishing a new R&D centre dedicated to developing functional, safe and environmentally friendly packaging. Located in Lausanne / Switzerland, the Nestlé “Institute of Packaging Sciences” will include a laboratory complex and facilities for rapid prototyping, and employ around 50 people. Research will focus on recyclable, biodegradable or compostable polymers and functional paper, along with new packaging concepts and technologies to increase the recyclability of plastic packaging.

“Cutting-edge science as well as a close collaboration with globally leading academic institutions and industrial partners will deliver a pipeline of highly performing environmentally friendly packaging solutions,” said Nestlé’s chief technology officer, Stefan Palzer. The Swiss group, which spent CHF 1.7 bn (around EUR 1.5 bn) on R&D in 2017, claims to have the world’s largest private food and nutrition research organisation, involving about 5,000 people.

Meanwhile, Nestlé Waters North America (Stamford, Connecticut / USA; www.nestle-watersna.com) has signed an agreement with PET recycler CarbonLite (Los Angeles, California / USA; www.carbonliterecycling.com), which will build a third US recycling plant in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, allowing the drinks retailer to expand its use of recycled material in packaging.

Nestlé Waters, which already buys rPET from CarbonLite’s facilities in California and Texas – see Plasteurope.com of 19.01.2018 – has two bottling plants in Lehigh Valley. CarbonLite expects the new facility to be fully operational by early 2020 and to be capable of recycling more than 2 bn post-consumer beverage bottles per year, which can be used to produce over 36,000 t/y of food-grade rPET pellets.

Nestlé Waters has been increasing the amount of rPET in its packaging since 2011. In February 2018, the company launched a 700 ml “Pure Life” bottle made of 100% rPET – see Plasteurope.com of 18.04.2018. All of the company’s single-serve sizes of “Arrowhead” mountain spring water and Pure Life bottles that it makes in California contain 50% rPET.

Earlier this month, Nestlé Waters North America said it will achieve 25% recycled plastic across its US portfolio by 2021. It also pledged to reach 50% by 2025.