Driving sustainable packaging innovations with our sourcing efforts

Marieke Nispeling, Category Procurement Manager, is part of FrieslandCampina for over 5 years and has since then been responsible for different procurement categories. Currently she manages the global rigid plastic* portfolio and acts as a sustainability lead for the packaging category team. How does she contribute to our sustainability programme Nourishing a better planet with her role? Read in her personal story.

First mover in sustainable palm oil

“FrieslandCampina was my key customer when working for my previous employer. That is how I got to know the company. At that time FrieslandCampina was a first mover in sustainable palm oil (RSPO-certified). I personally have a great passion for sustainability and that was one of the many reasons to like the company. So I made a career switch and joined the FrieslandCampina team as a Global Category Manager for commodities in the Netherlands. I was responsible for sourcing of global oils and cocoa.”

Commitment to sourcing sustainable agricultural raw materials

“When I think about that first role I had within the company, I immediately remember the strong commitments we made in sourcing sustainable agricultural raw materials in our extended supply chain in both Asia and Europe. Even though there was a premium for it to be paid. I believe we have a responsibility in the full supply chain. The beauty of this is that we can work together with other companies and join forces for a positive impact. Like the start of different partnerships to support local farmers who produce the raw materials we use. An example of that is the WISSCo2 programme we ran.”

Move to sourcing packaging materials

“Fast forward to today and I live in Singapore being responsible for the global rigid plastic portfolio of FrieslandCampina. Besides, I am involved in many sustainability topics for packaging.”

“When it comes to packaging and use of plastic new legislation constantly keeps coming our way. Additionally there is growing consumer awareness concerning plastic waste. And on top of that we as FrieslandCampina want to have a positive impact on our planet. People often make a negative association with plastic but items such as bottles, caps, and closures have protective and preservative properties allowing our delicate products to reach the consumer safely. And to stay fresh longer which is also important in terms of minimising food waste.”

We as FrieslandCampina want to have a positive impact on our planet

Sustainable packaging: circular & net zero

“We continuously look into designing our packaging for recyclability, as we ultimately aim to drive toward fully circular packaging solutions in our portfolio. But we also do that to support our long term goal of becoming carbon neutral. This means in some cases we are trying to replace single use plastic that would otherwise currently end up as waste, for example, with the paper straws we launched last year.”

“In my role I work closely with our marketing, commercial and R&D teams to find the right suppliers who can join forces with us and help us drive packaging innovations in line with our sustainability strategy. For instance, we recently launched a plant-based recyclable cap for 1-litre packages of the brands Cécémel, Fristi, Campina, and Joyvalle in Belgium.”

100% recyclability goal drives innovation choices

“FrieslandCampina has the goal that by 2025, our packaging portfolio must be 100% recyclable, reusable or both. That recyclability target drives us when making decisions on sourcing. Like we constantly strive to increase the amount of recycled PET (rPET) resin content used in our packaging as opposed to virgin resin.”

“Earlier this year FrieslandCampina switched to 100% rPET bottles for all brands in the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Hungary. Of course we would love to see that extended to more countries. However, that is not always easy to achieve. Recycled PET is not always available to source in, for instance Asian countries, or it comes with a premium which can make products less affordable. Furthermore the collection, sorting and recycling systems in Asia are far less developed compared to Europe which further complicates the sourcing and drive toward achieving a fully circular system for rPET. Nevertheless, as a company we constantly try to create partnerships and launch projects that can help us tackle those challenges. The journey towards full packaging circularity and carbon neutrality is long but we do need to start somewhere. Moreover, if we as consumers, dispose and recycle plastics in the right way than plastics can eventually be a valuable part of circular economy and not an issue.”

Contribution to Nourishing a better planet

“With the launch of the Nourishing a better planet programme last year, FrieslandCampina announced ‘Better sourcing’ and ‘Better packaging’ as two of its sustainability priorities. I am very happy that with my role I do my part to contribute to both.”

* Rigid plastics are plastic products that cannot easily be squeezed. One of the biggest advantages of rigid plastic is its protection for food products.