Nestlé Canada Committed to Sending Zero Waste to Landfill

Nestlé is taking bold and concrete steps to protect the future of the planet. In March, the company stated a new global ambition: striving for zero environmental impact within its operations around the world. This global movement is driving Nestlé’s efforts in Canada to focus on zero waste.

“Ensuring environmental sustainability and continuously improving involves actions on a global, national, and regional level,” said Catherine O’Brien, Senior VP, Public Affairs, Nestlé Canada. “We are committed to action in every community we manufacture in and while we have made great progress, we know there is always more to be done”.

In line with the company’s global ambition, Nestlé in Canada currently sends zero waste for disposal among its five factories across Ontario. Factories include: food factory in Mississauga, confectionery factory in Toronto, ice cream factory in London, food service factory in Trenton and the Nestlé Waters plant in Aberfoyle. Each factory works to establish innovative and local solutions to address each one of its unique environments.

The Nestlé Professional factory in Trenton, Ontario is sending its organic waste into a biomass cogeneration installation at a neighbouring farm. Mixed with manure, it creates heat and electricity. The digester at the local farm has the capacity to generate 750 kilowatts/hour of electricity, which is enough to power over 500 households. “Throughout our factory, we’re working very hard to make sure that little to no waste will go to landfill,” said, Scott McDonald, Factory Manager in Trenton. “We take this very seriously and our team in Trenton continually works together to find responsible and innovative methods to minimizing the impact in our community and on the environment.”

Zero waste for disposal means that no waste will go to landfill or be incinerated without energy being recovered from the process. Nestlé has committed to achieve this in all of its sites worldwide by 2020.

Nestlé is working to achieve its target of zero waste for disposal through a series of measures designed to prevent waste generation. The focus is on operational efficiency, quality and productivity – doing more, first time right with fewer resources. By the end of 2016, 182 of its factories (39%) worldwide achieved zero waste for disposal.

Since its beginning, more than 150 years ago, the company has sought to avoid food waste, beginning by transforming perishable raw materials – such as milk, coffee beans and cocoa – into safe, value-added food products. Its instant coffee brand Nescafé, for example, was invented in 1938 as a way of using coffee beans sitting unsold in warehouses in Brazil. Today, Nestlé uses spent coffee grounds as a source of renewable energy in more than 20 of its Nescafé factories and aims to extend this practice to all Nescafé factories worldwide.

Backed by more than a century of research and experience, Nestlé in Canada's vision is to be the most trusted and respected food and nutrition-n company in the country, bringing Good Food, Good Life to Canadians. Nestlé in Canada manufactures some of the world's most recognized and trusted brands, including NESQUIK, NESTLÉ GOOD START, HÄAGEN-DAZS, KIT KAT, NESCAFÉ, NESTLÉ PURE LIFE, NESTLÉ DRUMSTICK, STOUFFER'S, LEAN CUISINE and Nestlé Purina BENEFUL. Nestlé in Canada employs approximately 3,500 people in some 20 sites, sales offices and distribution centres across the country. More information and details are available at www.corporate.nestle.ca

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