Nestlé has revealed that it will introduce bio-based lids and scoops made from sugar cane and its byproduct for a range of its nutrition products for infants and children.

The lids and scoops are made from 66 per cent and 95 per cent sugar cane respectively. They are certified as plant-based packaging and are recyclable in countries that have recycling facilities for polyethylene (PE).

This innovation is one of the many solutions Nestlé is working on to address the issue of packaging waste.

The company said the main advantage of these bio-based plastics is that they are made from a renewable plant material that can be continually replenished and that absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In addition, this packaging helps Nestlé reduce its use of fossil-based plastics.

Nestlé Nutrition’s NAN infant formula packed in the new packaging materials was introduced in Hong Kong in 2020 and will be available in other markets globally from 2021, including for other brands such as BEBA and GUIGOZ.

Wyeth Nutrition is launching the new bio-based packaging for its brands SMA, LITTLE STEPS, S-26 and ILLUMA.

Nestlé Health Science is also introducing the new packaging material for its Althéra, Alfaré, Alfamino, Modulen and Peptamen Junior brands, which are part of its global range of pediatric food for special medical purposes.

“Nestlé continues to push the boundaries of science to provide nutritional solutions for children, and we are putting that same passion into pioneering new packaging that is good for our planet,” head of Nestlé Nutrition Thierry Philardeau said.

“Families rely on us for support in the first 1,000 days of life — a critical time to shape a healthier and more prosperous future — and we are proud to be the first global brand to offer them solutions that maximise the use of renewable resources.”

Nestlé Health Science CEO Greg Behar said, it is the company’s responsibility to customers and to the planet to innovate on packaging materials that contribute to a more sustainable future.

“We are pleased that Nestlé Health Science’s pediatric range is our first product group to include the new bio-based lids and scoops: new solutions for a new generation,” Behar said.

Nestlé Nutrition head of R&D and chief medical officer Ryan Carvalho said the development of innovative sustainable packaging solutions plays an important role in the business’ journey to net-zero.

“Bio-based packaging from sugar cane is an excellent example of how we can make good use of plant-based raw materials that are renewable to develop better alternatives to traditional plastic while ensuring that our products maintain a high level of safety and quality,” he added.

Nestlé is a founding member of the Bioplastics Feedstock Alliance that aims to encourage production of bioplastics feedstocks in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable manner.