Baby steps for hard-to-recycle Canadian packaging
A partnership between Gerber and recycling firm TerraCycle is aiming to support the recovery of hard-to-recycle baby food packaging on a national scale throughout Canada.
Parents can sign up on the Gerber Recycling Program web page and mail in baby food packaging that is currently not municipally recyclable, including flexible plastics bags, pouches and inner bags, using a prepaid shipping label.
Once collected, the packaging is cleaned, melted down and then re-moulded to make new products.
“With this new partnership, approximately 200,000 Gerber pouches or over 1,800kg of packaging material, will be redirected and won’t end up in landfills,” explained Alison McLean, president of Nutrition at Nestlé Canada. “This is a significant milestone on our journey to tackle plastics waste and preserve the planet for our future generations.”
“Through this free recycling programme, Gerber is offering parents an easy way to divert waste from landfills by providing a responsible way to dispose of certain hard-to-recycle Gerber baby food packaging,” said TerraCycle chief executive Tom Szaky. “By collecting and recycling these items, families can demonstrate their respect for the environment not only through the products that they choose for their children, but also with how they dispose of the packaging.”
Nestlé Canada’s sustainability goals include making 100 per cent of its packaging reusable or recyclable by 2025.