Nestlé Philippines is stepping up efforts to tackle plastic waste, expanding recovery programs and advancing packaging innovations as it seeks to balance product accessibility with environmental responsibility.
Meg Anne Santos, the company’s head of sustainability, underscored the scale of the challenge, noting that the Philippines remains one of the world’s largest contributors to marine plastic pollution. She said the company recognizes its responsibility, particularly as many of its products rely on single-serve packaging to reach consumers across the archipelago.
Santos stressed that packaging must remain “fit for purpose,” ensuring product safety and quality while minimizing material use. Alongside this, Nestlé Philippines has intensified plastic recovery initiatives. Since August 2020, the company has collected the equivalent of 100 percent of the plastic it puts into the market, surpassing requirements under the Extended Producer Responsibility law. To date, it has recovered more than 130 million kilograms of plastic waste through partnerships with local governments and other stakeholders.
At the same time, the company is redesigning packaging to reduce plastic use at the source. Initiatives include “Project Elmer,” which replaces plastic pallet wraps with soluble glue, and efforts to reduce headspace in packaging to cut material use without affecting product volume. It has also shifted to paper straws and paper-based multipack solutions.
Santos added that Nestlé Philippines is moving toward “design for recycling,” transitioning from multi-layer to mono-material packaging. The company is also supporting education programs and collaborating with industry partners to help build a more circular economy.
