Nestlé’s Nespresso brand will commit exclusively to responsibly sourced and certified aluminium for its coffee capsules, after the company agreed a new partnership.
It has signed a memorandum of understanding with metal processor Rio Tinto to work towards 100% sustainably sourced aluminium by 2020. Nestlé says that the use of aluminium certified to the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) standard is “an important milestone towards reducing the impact that the world’s second most-used base metal has on the planet”.
The ASI sets out standards to promote the protection of biodiversity, respect for indigenous people’s rights, water management and low-carbon emissions during the production of aluminium.
Nespresso CEO Jean-Marc Duvoisin said: “Nespresso is proud to have been a driving force in creating and implementing the ASI. Together we have made responsibly sourced aluminium a reality, and the ASI traceability mechanism will enable us to meet our commitment to customers to reduce the impact of their consumption. This is a positive step towards creating a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future.”
And Rio Tinto Aluminium chief executive Alf Barrios added: “This as an important step towards the use of responsibly sourced aluminium across manufacturing industries, which Rio Tinto is the first to supply. We expect the demand from consumers for sustainable products to continue growing and Nespresso drinkers can have confidence the aluminium we supply for their capsules meets the highest international standards.”
The ASI’s Chain of Custody Standard creates a traceability mechanism so that end-users like Nespresso can be sure that the aluminium they buy has been manufactured by ASI-Certified producers at each stage of the process. The standard is the first of its kind for any industrial metal.
Rio Tinto and Nespresso are hoping other producers and end-users will now turn to ASI certification, in order to meet the demand from consumers for more sustainable supply chains.
ASI chief executive officer Fiona Solomon summarised: “Aluminium is a key part of our daily lives: from cars and planes to cell phones, buildings and food packaging. Until now, there has never been a comprehensive global standard for its responsible sourcing and production. Now companies in the aluminium value chain who wish to demonstrate responsible practices can take the ASI standards forward to their customers, who can, in turn, be confident that this represents the highest environmental, social and governance standards.”
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