Nestlé targets 12-17% cut in virgin plastic use by 2030

Nestlé has set a new target to cut virgin plastic use by 12% to 17% by 2030 against a 2018 baseline, replacing its earlier goal of recyclable packaging alone. The company expects most of the reduction to come from higher recycled content, followed by material reduction and paper substitution, with reuse, refill and alternative materials making up the rest. The plan takes into account Nestlé's planned roughly USD 3.4bn sale of a stake in its water business.

Why this mattersA target shift by one of the largest packaging buyers toward recycled PET and paper substitution will steer demand and investment across recycled-content and fibre-based packaging suppliers.

• Nestlé targets a 12% to 17% cut in virgin plastic use by 2030 versus a 2018 baseline.
• Recycled content is expected to deliver 50% to 60% of the planned reduction, from about 21% recycled content in plastic packaging as of 2025.
• Reduction and elimination measures, including paper swaps, are expected to contribute 30% to 40% of the improvement.
• Alternative materials and reuse or refill solutions are expected to contribute the remaining 10% to 15%.
• Nestlé's total plastics packaging use fell to 0.86 million metric tons in 2025 from 1.7 million tons in 2018.
• The target factors in Nestlé's planned roughly USD 3.4bn sale of a stake in its water business.

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