Nestlé Japan switches up KitKat plastic packaging to origami paper

Nestlé Japan is looking to switch up its KitKat packaging from plastic to paper by September 2019. This is in line with its efforts to solve plastic waste issue. This saw president and CEO Kozo Takaoka proposing to the public to create the symbolic “paper crane” origami out of the paper packaging that conveys Japanese tradition.Nestle Japan’s commitment to the future of making packaging materials for products recyclable or reused by 2025 is positioned as the first step. According to Takaoka, by 2021, the company aims to make all KitKat individual packaging a single material that is recyclable. He also said that while the efforts in a sustainable future begins with KitKat’s flagship products in Japan, the company will work towards expanding into other brands and products.Since January this year, Nestlé has been taking steps in eliminating all plastic straws from its products and use alternative materials such as paper as well as “innovative” designs to reduce littering. According to Nestle CEO Mark Schneider, tackling plastic waste requires a united approach. As such, Nestle focuses on three core areas such as eliminating unrecycled plastics, encouraging the use of plastics to increase retention rates, and eliminating or changing complex combinations of packaging materials.Some of the other brands that have taken a similar approach include Starbucks, KFC, Burger King and Yakult. Apart from brands, the global agency network WPP has also revealed that it will no longer buy or provide single-use plastics such as bottles, straws, cutlery and cups in any of its 3,000-plus agency offices and campuses worldwide.