Chronicle Editor
Chrispen Gumunyu, Business Reporter
NESTLE Zimbabwe is working on using eco-friendly packaging for all its products within the next six years as part of its efforts to complement President Mnangagwa’s clarion call of ensuring the country has sustainable environment management and waste disposal systems.
Nestle Zimbabwe regulatory affairs manager Mrs Yamurai Zhou said the company has set sights on introducing 100 percent recyclable or biodegradable packing by 2025 in a bid to mitigate the environmental hazards of litter.
“Our vision as a global company is that none of our packaging, including plastics, ends up in landfill or as litter.
We are making efforts as a company to ensure that 100 percent of our packaging is recyclable or reusable by 2025.
We want to reduce the amount of plastic consumed, increase the use of recycled plastic in our packaging and collect as much packaging as possible to achieve neutrality,” she said.
Mrs Zhou said as part of efforts to minimise the negative impact its packaging material has on the environment, the company was courting a strategic partner to recycle it.
“At Nestle Zimbabwe, we are currently exploring opportunities to live up to our vision by continuous clean-up days with our staff and business partners.
We are searching for potential partners who can recycle our different types of packaging.
We are also looking into innovative ways of collecting and sorting packaging waste while at the same time we are inviting other private sector partners to join us in our quest to create a cleaner environment for the country,” said Mrs Zhou.
In December last year, President Mnangagwa declared the first Friday of each calendar month, the National Environment Cleaning Day under the theme: “Zero tolerance to litter: my environment, my pride”.
In the past five years, Nestle Zimbabwe’s Swiss-based parent company, injected over $30 million into the local unit, which was used towards capital projects that included the refurbishment and upgrading of several plants to increase production capacities and efficiencies.
The company also constructed a quality assurance laboratory at its Harare factory and a new administration block.
Nestle has been in Zimbabwe for close to 60 years, positively contributing to the economic growth and employment creation in the country. It employs more than 200 permanent employees.
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