Leydin Sorto 
Nestlé aims to recover the equivalent amount of plastic packaging sold in each market in the region—an ambitious goal it has already achieved in countries such as El Salvador, where, for the second consecutive year, the company has managed to recover the equivalent of 100% of the plastic packaging of products sold in the national market.
In just two years, Nestlé El Salvador has diverted from landfills and recovered more than 1,300 tons of post-consumer plastic waste. During the last year alone, the company recovered 732 tons of post-consumer plastic, compared to 729 tons of plastic packaging placed on the market, thus neutralizing more than 100% of its plastic footprint in the country.
“At Nestlé, we have the vision that none of our packaging should end up as waste in a landfill or in the environment. In line with this global vision, at Nestlé El Salvador we are the first and only company in the country to have sustainably neutralized our post-consumer plastic packaging footprint for two consecutive years,” said José Antonio Moy, General Manager of Nestlé El Salvador.
The neutralization of Nestlé’s plastic footprint in El Salvador is possible thanks to joint work with Geocycle, a subsidiary of Holcim specializing in comprehensive waste management through energy recovery, and Grupo TERNOVA, a leader in the development of flexible packaging solutions focused on a circular economy.
The plastic neutrality validation process was carried out by EY (Ernst and Young), the auditing organization that verified and validated the implemented process and the reported data.
“With this alliance, we take a firm step toward a more responsible production and consumption model, where every company contributes to a circular destiny. Supporting our clients’ waste management is part of our global commitment to a waste-free future, and this result demonstrates the value of local partnerships with real impact,” said Jorge Peña, Manager of Geocycle El Salvador.
Meanwhile, Rodrigo Tona, CEO of Grupo Ternova, stated: “At Ternova, we believe that great results are born when companies unite with purpose. This partnership with Nestlé shows how, through sustainability and innovation, it is possible to generate real impact and move toward a more responsible industry. At the same time, we continue to promote product design under the R2R —Ready to Recycle— model and strengthen our people’s culture, because they are the ones who make it possible to turn every action into an opportunity for the planet.”
Integral strategy throughout the value chain:
The recovery and revaluation of post-consumer plastic packaging is one of the voluntary actions Nestlé promotes as part of its commitment to transforming waste management systems. These initiatives are part of its comprehensive packaging and waste strategy, based on three pillars: using less packaging material, designing better packaging, and promoting improved collection and recycling systems.
Nestlé Central America implements this strategy across its entire value chain, achieving significant progress such as:
- Factories and Distribution Centers with zero waste, including El Salvador, preventing more than 30,500 tons of waste from ending up in regional landfills over the last five years.
- 98% of all packaging designed for recycling.
- 90% of plastic packaging designed for recycling.
- 21% reduction in virgin plastic resin use compared to 2018.
Through its “REciclando Ando con Nestlé” (Recycling with Nestlé) Shared Value Creation (CVC) program, the company promotes a waste-free future by driving initiatives to divert plastic waste from nature, building partnerships for post-consumer waste collection at retail points, and educating both employees and consumers to foster more responsible consumption habits.
As part of “REciclando Ando con Nestlé”, the company has established 11 recycling stations in partnership with Walmart and Ternova in El Salvador. These stations are located in Walmart stores in Santa Elena, Escalón, Constitución, Santa Ana, and San Miguel, as well as Despensa de Don Juan stores in Antiguo Cuscatlán, Escalón Norte, La Cima, Holanda, Soyapango, and Jardines de Merliot. They operate permanently, following each store’s regular hours.
Thanks to this alliance, since 2021, a total of 237 tons of recoverable post-consumer packaging have been collected.
“At Nestlé, we are aware that as a society we face a great challenge: mitigating the negative impact that mismanaged post-consumer plastic packaging causes to the environment. As an active part of the solution, we have a strategy that begins with redesigning our packaging and extends to promoting infrastructure for waste separation and educating end consumers,” Moy concluded.
