The in-store dispensers allow consumers to bring reusable containers for refilling with different types of Nescafé soluble coffee
Nestlé's corporate headquarters building in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. (Credit: Nestlé/Wikipedia)
Swiss food and drink processing conglomerate Nestlé has commenced piloting reusable and refillable dispensers for soluble coffee, as part of its plan to reduce single-use packaging in Switzerland.
The in-store dispensers, which are also being piloted with Purina cat food, allow consumers to bring reusable containers for refilling the products.
Nestlé Purina Petcare EMENA CEO Bernard Meunier said: “Offering pet owners the option of using safe reusable and refillable dispensers in-store can help us improve our environmental impact while still providing great quality nutrition for pets.”
In addition to eliminating the use of single-use packaging, the reusable and refillable dispensers enable consumers to digitally access product information, such as ingredients, nutritional values and shelf life.
Nestlé said it recently piloted the reusable and refillable dispensers in three Nestlé shops located in Rorschach, Orbe and La Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland. It was carried out in collaboration with the technology start-up MIWA.
The four-month trial period provided the firm with valuable insights such as its user-friendliness, Nestlé noted.
Nestlé to roll-out refillable dispensers across more locations in Switzerland
In order to further assess the effectiveness in reducing packaging waste along the supply chain, the refillable dispensers are planned to be rolled out by Nestlé across more locations in Switzerland, in the next few months.
Nestlé R&D packaging lead Hélène Lanctuit said: “These dispensers are novel because they incorporate smart technology which allows us to ensure product safety, and also guarantee the freshness and traceability of our products.”
The firm has earlier announced plans to reduce the use of virgin plastics by one third by 2025.
As part of this effort, the firm has announced a pilot test for Refill Plus, a water dispenser designed to allows consumers to personalise their water with sixty-four flavour combinations.
In March 2020, Nestlé and recycling company iQ Renew announced a trial to collect soft plastics from over 100,000 homes in Australia through kerbside recycling and divert from landfill.