{"id":9990,"date":"2020-09-05T20:12:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-05T12:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/philippines\/?p=9990"},"modified":"2021-12-01T20:38:57","modified_gmt":"2021-12-01T12:38:57","slug":"greenpeace-calls-out-nestle-for-false-claims-on-plastic-neutrality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/philippines\/press\/9990\/greenpeace-calls-out-nestle-for-false-claims-on-plastic-neutrality\/","title":{"rendered":"Greenpeace calls out Nestle for false claims on plastic neutrality"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

QUEZON CITY, Philippines, September 5, 2020<\/em><\/strong> \u2014 Environmental organization Greenpeace Philippines expressed dismay over Nestl\u00e9 Philippines\u2019 claim that it has achieved \u201cplastic neutrality\u201d amid lack of concrete plans to cut the production of single-use packaging, and the absence of hard data in the country about their historical plastic production. Instead of adhering to its promise to reduce plastic production globally [1]<\/sup>, Nestl\u00e9 Philippines\u2019 latest move to achieve supposed neutrality involves sending their plastic waste for incineration in cement kilns, which poses health threats to communities[2]<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n

\"Activists
The #Breakfreefromplastic movement delivered a demand letter and \u201cinvoice from the Filipino people\u201d outlining the costs of Nestl\u00e9\u2019s single-use plastic packaging to human health impacts, environmental pollution, death of wildlife, damage to livelihoods and businesses, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste management challenges. File photo from 2019.
\u00a9 Basilio H. Sepe \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

Greenpeace reiterated its call for Nestl\u00e9 to lay clear targets and timelines on how they plan to reduce its production of throwaway packaging, instead of investing in harmful end-of-pipe practices that only double the negative impacts on people\u2019s health and the environment. <\/p>\n\n

“There’s no such thing as \u2018plastic neutrality,\u2019\u201d said Greenpeace Campaigner Marian Ledesma. \u201cCollecting as much plastic you produce in order to burn it and convert it to cancer-causing and air-polluting chemicals and toxins echoes the same ugly strategy Nestl\u00e9 has used to make people and communities shoulder the costs of the clean up of plastic waste, and the impact of the plastic pollution they created.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Nestl\u00e9, which consistently ranks among the top plastic polluters in brand audits conducted globally[3]<\/sup>, claims to care about the plastic pollution, but continues to miss the mark in terms of cutting their contribution. Last month, Nestle said it will switch to paper straws for its ready-to-drink products, which only swaps plastics with equally disposable substitutes.  <\/p>\n\n

Greenpeace demands Nestl\u00e9 to release a comprehensive plan to reduce its reliance on single-use plastics, which shall include transparency about their plastic production and ambitious and time-bound reuse and refill targets. A planned reduction of plastics by phasing out sachets and disposables would omit the need for Nestl\u00e9 to rely on climate change driving industries for both its production and waste management.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cIt is time for the company to stop greenwashing and pretending it can ‘manage’ the billions of single-use plastics it sells every day,\u201d Ledesma said, noting that the country\u2019s top brands, like Nestle, must adapt their systems to attain a waste-free better normal for Filipinos. <\/p>\n\n

\n\n

Notes to editors: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

[1] Nestle commits<\/a> to make 100% of their packaging is recyclable or reusable by 2025. Recycling, however, is a false solution because it fails to move us away from single-use packaging.<\/p>\n\n

[2] For every ton of plastic burned, the net carbon dioxide emissions is  2.9 metric tons<\/a> and potentially releases toxins putting surrounding communities in harm\u2019s way. Among those toxins are dioxins and furans, known carcinogenic substances which also have associated health effects, such as developmental issues and impairment of the immune and endocrine systems. Read more: <\/p>\n\n