Swiss food company Nestlé has announced a partnership with Ethiopian sustainability consulting firm TS Environment Technology to set up a plastic waste recovery program in Ethiopia. The partnership plans on achieving plastic neutrality within a year.
Experts estimate that by the end of 2020, more than 40 tons of plastic are going to be collected, sorted, and recycled or incinerated. The program is expected to significantly increase this process in 2021.
Nestlé Horn of Africa Cluster Manager Wossenyeleh Shiferaw affirms that the partnership is part of the company’s wider plans to tackle global sustainability issues. In 2018, Nestlé made the commitment to make all of its packaging reusable or recyclable by 2025.
Wossenyeleh also said that TS Environment Technology is going to be a key partner in the realization of Nestlé’s sustainability goals. The company not only wants to further its role in the push to address waste issues, but also seeks to drive new behaviors and understanding through intensive education for developing countries like Ethiopia that may have cost related reservations to implementing environmentally sustainable policies.
The partnership aims to begin with a pilot project that will implement a plastic waste recovery system targeting specific locations across Addis Ababa. The waste will be collected, sorted, weighed, and recycled. Non-recyclable waste will be incinerated in an energy-efficient manner.
The project is also expected to create jobs for youth and other underprivileged segments of society.
Addis Standard, Afrik 21, New Business Ethiopia