Nestlé launches scheme to develop tea-based fertiliser

From: FoodBev

Nestlé has launched a new scheme in Pakistan which aims to develop a zero-waste, tea-based fertiliser, and is looking for partners to help create the new product.

Nestlé EveryDay, one of the biggest tea creamers in Pakistan, and Nestlé’s innovation platform HENRi@Nestlé will lead the scheme, which aims to simultaneously reduce tea waste and increase agricultural yields by creating the tea-based solution.

According to Nestlé, Pakistani farmers produce approximately 200,000 tonnes of tea leaves every year. The leaves contain nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, three nutrients which can create a “quality fertiliser”, and the creation of a tea-based fertiliser product would help reduce the environmental impact caused by the use of chemical-based fertilisers.

The initiative is now looking for start-ups, innovators, waste management companies, or other corporate partners to help create the “game-changing” product, and the project will consist of three phases.

Firstly, the project will aim to establish a viable method to procure wasted tea, and the second stage will see Nestlé EveryDay collaborate with a partner to convert collected tea into a fertiliser, preferably through a composting process.

The final stage will see the product commercialised and sold to farmers in Pakistan as a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly fertiliser.

The project will initially be piloted in Pakistan, and will be expanded into other tea producing countries such as China and India in the future.

Muhammad Fahad, marketing manager, tea enhancement and open innovation lead for Nestlé Pakistan said: “As a company, our ambition isn’t limited to how consumers experience our products, it’s also about the impact we have on the communities we operate in and the world around us.

“We know that there’s a huge opportunity to positively affect the lives and livelihoods of millions by creating a compost product out of used tea.

“That’s why we’re looking for partners to collaborate with us. The right product could offer an environmentally friendly, zero-waste solution to enhance agricultural productivity around the world.”

Gerardo Mazzeo, global innovation director at Nestlé added: “We’re looking for effective and creative partners to bring this initiative to fruition.

“This is a sustainable solution that could safeguard the environment and contribute to cleaner, greener practice for years to come.

“It will also help farmers to access a cost-effective fertiliser solution, so they can do the right thing for the planet without making commercial compromises.

“Initiatives like this are a good example of HENRi’s overarching purpose – to positively impacting individuals, society and the planet.”

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