Dig in! Nestle rolling out reusable ice cream containers in London

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It seems everything old is new again, at least in the world of food sales.

From its London plant, Nestle is offering ice cream delivered in a reusable container that can be returned and refilled.

For many, that may sound a lot like milk bottle or bread delivery service in the good old days.

“Nestle has made, across all our categories globally, a commitment to look at challenges around plastic waste and packaging,” said Catherine O’Brien, senior vice-president corporate affairs, Nestle.

“We want to be 100 per cent recyclable or reusable for 2025. A good chunk of our packaging is recyclable, some is not.”

Nestle’s London plant on Wilton Grove Road, with more than 400 workers, is the ice cream maker’s only production facility in Canada, and high-end  Hӓagen-Dazs ice cream is among the products it makes and packages.

Customers now can order Hӓagen-Dazs in reusable stainless steel, 500-ml containers partnering with a new food delivery service called Loop. Loop specializes in delivering food and other goods in reusable containers in an effort to reduce waste.

Nestle is making “a commitment to driving sustainable, environmentally friendly solutions. This is about our core values as a brand,” O’Brien said.

The container is specially designed with double-wall, stainless steel lining that keeps ice cream cold for 24 to 36 hours, said Jayne Payette, president for ice cream with Nestlé Canada.

“If you think about reduce, reuse and recycle, this is the highest form of packaging reduction. It is not creating waste,” Payette said.

The London ice cream will be offered as part of a pilot project where Loop delivery is being made available to 5,000 Ontario residents. In addition to ice cream and other food, Loop will offer goods including cosmetics and cleaners.

“The Loop platform goes beyond our product. Consumers order the product online at the Loop store (loopstore.com) and register. It is a pilot project for now,” Payette said.

Loop originated in the U.S. and is available in Germany, France and the U.K. It will be available soon in Australia and Japan. Nestlé is a founding partner.

“Nestlé has set an ambitious target to ensure that 100 per cent of our packaging is recyclable or reusable by 2025 and this investment and founding partnership with Loop is one of many examples of new and innovative solutions on our sustainability journey,” said Eric Berdan, director of factory operations, Nestlé.

“Our team here in London is proud to be at the forefront of sustainability innovation by supporting the Canadian debut of Hӓagen-Dazs reusable packaging.”