Vevey, Switzerland – Greenpeace Switzerland activists today delivered a 20 meters long \u201cplastic monster\u201d partly covered with Nestle\u0301 branded plastic packaging to the company\u2019s headquarters in Vevey, calling on the corporation to end its reliance on single-use plastic. Activists also held protests at Nestle\u0301 offices in the Philippines, Germany, Kenya, Slovenia, and its sub-brand San Pellegrino in Italy as part of a global day of action led by Greenpeace and allies from the Break Free From Plastic movement.<\/p>\n
In response to the day of action against Nestl\u00e9, Global Plastics Project Leader Graham Forbes said:<\/p>\n
\u201cLast year, Nestle\u0301 produced a shocking 1.7 million tonnes of plastic packaging – over 300 garbage trucks worth a day – a 13% increase from the year before. It is totally irresponsible that Nestle\u0301 produces hundreds of billions of plastic items every year that are used for a few seconds and then left to contaminate our communities, food chains and ecosystems for generations.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople around the world are taking action today to demand Nestle\u0301 show true leadership and confront the throwaway culture that underpins its current business model. Leadership does not mean substituting plastic with another single-use material like paper or bioplastic, which will shift the destructive impacts of the throwaway culture to the world\u2019s forests and agricultural lands. For the sake of our planet and human health, we need Nestl\u00e9 to immediately reduce its production of single-use packaging and invest in delivery systems based on refill and reuse.\u201d<\/p>\n
From Manila<\/a> to Rotterdam<\/a>, and along the Rhine with a \u201cplastic monster<\/a>\u201d to Nestle\u0301\u2019s headquarters in Switzerland<\/a>, Greenpeace has been raising awareness about the plastic production crisis in towns and villages across the globe. Greenpeace is demanding that fast-moving consumer goods companies (FMCGs) like Nestle\u0301, Unilever, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Danone, Johnson & Johnson and Mars be transparent and active in their immediate reduction in the production of plastic packaging while investing in the alternative delivery system of refill and reuse. To date, over 3 million people from around the world have signed a petition calling on brands to take action.<\/p>\n ENDS<\/p>\n Photos<\/strong> from the Global Day of Action against Nestle\u0301 are available here<\/a><\/p>\n Notes:<\/strong><\/p>\n [1] Nestl\u00e9 was found to be one of the top producer of branded plastic pollution in waste audits done in the Philippines conducted by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA). Full results here<\/a>.<\/p>\n [2] Nestl\u00e9 was one of the top corporate plastic polluters identified in a worldwide cleanup and brand audit effort conducted by the Break Free From Plastic movement last year. Full results here<\/a><\/p>\n [3] Eleven Fast-moving consumer goods companies (FMCGs) were found to be the main corporations behind the plastics pollution pandemic in a report released by Greenpeace International last year. Full results here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Contacts<\/strong>:<\/p>\n Capucine Dayen, Greenpeace USA Global Comms Lead for Plastics: +33 647 971 819, capucine.dayen@greenpeace.org<\/a><\/p>\n Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), pressdesk.int@greenpeace.org<\/a><\/p>\n