Nestlé introduces new recyclable shrink sleeve label for Nesquik® bottles

Nestlé is upgrading its Nesquik® ready-to-drink range with a new recyclable shrink sleeve label, aiding consumers in easier bottle recycling.

The shrink sleeve, conforming to the bottle, features light-blocking print technology compatible with U.S. recycling streams. This summer, all Nesquik® ready-to-drink bottles will sport this recyclable sleeve, marking Nestlé's first product with such technology on shelves.

Crafted from materials facilitating bottle and sleeve recycling together, Nestlé aims to reincorporate packaging material into the plastic supply stream, promoting a circular packaging economy. Consumers can now recycle the entire Nesquik® ready-to-drink bottle, including cap, bottle, and shrink sleeve, without sleeve removal.

Expected by June 2024, all seven Nesquik® ready-to-drink flavours will adopt the new sleeve, potentially streamlining the recycling of 4,500 metric tons of PET plastic annually.

Chastity McLeod, VP Sustainability, Nestlé North America, said: Packaging protects food and beverages and helps ensure our products remain high-quality for our consumers. It was essential to find a solution that would maintain the quality and shelf life of the product, while also offering the benefit of making recycling the bottle easier for consumers. Our teams are constantly innovating to extend the use of packaging materials as a valuable resource that can be leveraged again—This innovation is a big step forward as we continue to drive progress on Nestlé’s packaging ambitions across our U.S. portfolio.

This innovation, a five-year endeavour, underscores Nestlé's commitment to advancing packaging sustainability across its beverage portfolio. Last year, Nestlé trialed reusable stainless steel containers from Circolution for its Nesquick cocoa product in Germany.