• The Ferrero Group releases its 10th Corporate Social Responsibility Report
• Ferrero commits to make all packaging 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025
• Ferrero signs the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment
The Ferrero Group has released its 10th Corporate Social Responsibility Report and announced a new commitment to make all packaging 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. With its 10th CSR Report, Ferrero states that it once again demonstrates its commitment to positively contributing to the planet and the people it works with through its social responsibility strategy: “Sharing values to create value”.
Ferrero adds that its new commitment to the continuous improvement of its packaging footprint fits into its strategy aimed at minimizing our environmental impact, from raw materials to production plants and logistics, along the entire value chain.
Ferrero has also recently signed the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment and is sharing the Foundation’s vision of a circular economy for plastics, where plastics never become waste, and the need for action across the entire supply chain. In signing the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, Ferrero says it wants to play an active role and also commits to eliminating problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging through redesign, innovation, and new delivery models.
“Ferrero has always taken a responsible approach to delivering high-quality product experiences that positively contribute to both today and tomorrow’s society,” said Giovanni Ferrero, Executive Chairman of the Ferrero Group. “This belief continues to drive us towards a responsible value chain by sourcing sustainably, producing sustainably and now by further strengthening our commitment to more sustainable packaging. We are pleased to announce our commitment towards 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025 and signing The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation allows us to support the acceleration towards a circular economy.”
“We have growth ambitions and what is key is instilling sustainability throughout our entire business,” added Lapo Civiletti, CEO of the Ferrero Group. “This new commitment for packaging is an important step to achieving this.”
“The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment unites businesses, governments and others behind a clear vision of a circular economy for plastic,” stated Sander Defruyt, Lead of the New Plastics Economy initiative at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. “We are pleased Ferrero is joining us, by setting concrete 2025 targets. Our vision is for a world where plastic never becomes waste or pollution. It will be a challenging journey, but by coming together we can eliminate the plastics we don’t need and innovate, so the plastics we do need can be safely and easily circulated – keeping them in the economy and out of the environment.”
To achieve this new challenging commitment, Ferrero will engage its entire group, suppliers and partners. Investments in R&D and Open Innovation, as well as working in partnerships, will drive the Ferrero strategy to eliminate unnecessary plastic packaging without compromising the quality and freshness of its products.
In line with its global commitment, Ferrero will implement the following initiatives as part of a roadmap towards 2025:
R&D and Open Innovation
Reimagining products and packaging to meet the expectations of today’s consumer means putting innovation at the center of our efforts. We are investing further in the R&D and Open Innovation departments to:
- Eliminate unnecessary plastic packaging
- Maximize use of recycled materials where this is safe for our consumers
- Explore projects to test new compostable packaging materials for targeted applications, with focus on marine compostable solutions
To boost local plant waste recycling initiatives Ferrero is partnering with several actors, such as recyclers, national waste management systems, non-food companies to:
- Explore applications for difficult to recycle packaging structures
- Identify projects to use plant packaging waste to ensure circularity at the lowest environmental impact
Global and Local Activations
Ferrero will continue to engage with its suppliers and partners both globally and locally, joining specific associations to streamline definitions and testing methodologies for existing infrastructures.
Ferrero will increase its efforts in plugging leaks from after-use collection systems:
- Providing consumer information on correct disposal together with packaging disassembly and recycling tips
- Evaluating and joining reliable associations to contribute toward a solution
Curiously, none of the initiatives listed above seem to relate to making packaging reusable, which it emphasizes by listing it first regarding making all of its packaging “100% reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.”