Nestlé Launches "Self-Packing Cheese" Using Whey-Based Biodegradable Packaging
Nestlé Central America, in collaboration with Ogilvy Colombia, has launched an innovative biodegradable packaging concept made from cheese whey—a byproduct of cheese production. The new material is being used for the company's ¡Qué Rico! cheese line in Panama and represents a novel approach to sustainable packaging through circular economy principles.
Dubbed "Self-Packing Cheese", the solution converts excess whey into polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a biopolymer that mimics the functional properties of traditional plastic packaging but is fully biodegradable. Nestlé says the new material complies with food safety standards while preserving the freshness and quality of the cheese product.
The packaging is currently undergoing testing in Panama, with a targeted production volume of 5,500 tons. While no specific commercial rollout timeline has been disclosed, the pilot represents a significant milestone in Nestlé's sustainability roadmap in Latin America.
The innovation aligns with Nestlé's broader packaging and environmental commitments, which include reducing plastic waste, increasing use of renewable materials, and promoting circular solutions. By turning a waste byproduct into a functional packaging input, the company is addressing multiple sustainability goals simultaneously: food waste minimisation, materials innovation, and plastic reduction.
Though still in the testing phase, the initiative underscores the potential for biopolymer-based packaging in mainstream consumer goods categories, particularly when developed from byproducts of food production. The use of PHA is being increasingly explored in the industry due to its biodegradability in natural environments, including marine conditions.
Nestlé's Latin American operations have been at the forefront of the group's sustainability pilot projects. This development, jointly executed with Ogilvy's Colombian office, highlights a growing trend in cross-disciplinary collaboration between food manufacturers and creative agencies aimed at combining branding, materials science, and environmental stewardship.
If successful, "Self-Packing Cheese" could serve as a blueprint for other food categories seeking to integrate waste valorisation and sustainable packaging formats into their value chains.