Nestlé trials sustainable vending machines in Indonesia

Nestlé, the food giant headquartered in Vevey in the canton of Vaud in Western Switzerland, is trialing refillable vending machines at two local retailers in Indonesia. To this end, Nestlé is working with the Indonesian start-up Qyos by Algramo, which is based in the capital city of Jakarta. According to a press release, Nestlé intends to explore innovative solutions over a trial period of four to six months that contribute to reducing the need for disposable packaging

The Qyos machines are filled with the Koko Krunch breakfast cereal and the Milo beverage powder. Consumers can bring their own containers or buy containers provided. Product information such as ingredients, nutritional values and shelf life can be obtained digitally by scanning a QR code.

During the development process, Nestlé and Qyos experts had to ensure that the machines would maintain product safety and freshness throughout the supply chain, while at the same time taking into account local conditions such as the hot and humid climate in Indonesia. In 2021, Nestlé piloted reusable and refillable containers for its Milo, Dancow and Koko Krunch products in South Jakarta.

“By undertaking this second pilot for Milo and Koko Krunch, we'll be able to gain new insights that can be applied to our products”, comments Gaelle de Mestral, Head of R&D Packaging at Nestlé, in the press release.

According to the Qyos website, Indonesia is the second largest producer of plastics in the world. The huge volume of plastic waste poses a high risk of adverse health effects, water and air pollution, flooding and economic losses for the country. ko