Swiss dairy firm Emmi will introduce cups that use a proportion of recycled plastic for its Emmi Caffè Latte brand from next month.
By 2027, the company plans to switch entirely to recyclable packaging.
Until then, it aims to incorporate packing that comprises one-third recycled material.
Gerold Schatt, head of sustainability at the Emmi Group, said, "In our view, the waste of valuable resources in the packaging sector is unsustainable.
"Accordingly, Emmi is actively committed to optimising, reducing and closing energy and material cycles in its own production processes and in conjunction with partners and organisations, including as a founding member of PRISMA."
Recycled Packaging Material
Recycled polypropylene from mechanical recycling (rPP) is not approved by food safety authorities. However, polypropylene from chemical recycling (circular polypropylene or cPP) is allowed.
Initially, Emmi plans to use 100 tonnes of cPP per year for its Emmi Caffè Latte cups.
The material will be used in the UK market and then expanded to the European market.
Currently, the existing packaging and waste system are dominated by disposable packaging and linear production systems, Emmi noted.
Nationwide System
The company emphasised the need to establish a nationwide system to collect and process these materials.
This change calls for contributions from as many stakeholders as possible, including producers, processors, retailers, consumers, and authorities and legislators, it added.
In addition, Emmi wants to work with partners in the packaging industry to provide an impetus for environmentally friendly and resource-saving packaging.
The use of recycled materials creates an incentive to collect and process the corresponding packaging.
Recently, Emmi reported a 6.2% year-on-year increase in sales to CHF1.9 billion (€1.8 billion) in the first half of its financial year.
