ETHIOPIA – In an effort to achieve Carbon neutrality by 2021, Nestlé Ethiopia has launched a 12-month program to manage the plastic waste that it generates in the country.

As part of this initiative, the subsidiary of the Swiss food giant Nestlé will work with local sustainability consultant TS Environment Technology in disposing all plastic waste that it produces.

“Using TS Environment’s technology and expertise, we will start with a pilot plastic waste recovery system targeting specific locations in Addis Ababa, with the intention of expanding it in the near future,” says Wossenyeleh Shiferaw, Nestlé Group Head for the Horn of Africa.

During the twelve months of the program, the food company and its partner TS Environment will collect, sort and weigh the recycled plastic waste, which will then be processed to make further plastic products.

Non-recyclable plastic waste will be incinerated to produce electricity “in an environmentally friendly process”.

Before the end of the year, Nestlé Ethiopia hopes to have collected, sorted and recycled or incinerated 40 tons of plastic waste.

Its program is expected to accelerate the process of collecting, recycling and sustainable disposal of plastic waste in Ethiopia.

Nestlé says its plastic waste management program will also create jobs, both in the chain of collection, sorting, weighing and transport of plastic waste.

The initiative is part of the social commitment of the Swiss company, which uses plastic extensively in the packaging of its products.

Nestlé has an ambitious goal of making 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025.

In September 2020, its subsidiary in Ivory Coast also launched the initiative “J’aime Cocody, loin de ma lagune les déchets plastiques “which is aimed at helping reduce plastic pollution in the lagoon bays in Abidjan,

In South Africa where it has its regional headquarters, Nestlé also recently launched the Skimmelkrans Net Zero Carbon Emissions Project with a mission to create the company’s first carbon neutral dairy farm.

The company said that the project aligns with its broader sustainability platform called RE, where it has committed to RETHINK, REDUCE AND REPURPOSE on its journey towards a more sustainable future.

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