Nestlé Spain invests nearly €5.5M in its factory in La Penilla de Cayón to automate the packaging system, produce plastic-free multipacks of chocolate bars; plastic wrapping around bars has been replaced with a paper sticker on side

May 16, 2025 (press release) –

Key Highlights:

* Nestlé invested almost 5.5 million euros in its Cantabrian factory to automate the packaging system and produce plastic-free multipacks of chocolate tablets.

* The factory has started manufacturing multipacks of Nestlé Extrafino and Nestlé Postres without plastic, replacing it with paper side stickers.

* The investment reduced the use of virgin plastic by 44 tonnes compared to the previous year.

Original Press Release:

May 14 -- Nestlé issued the following news release:

- The Cantabrian factory is developing a plastic-free multipack for NESTLÉ EXTRAFINO and NESTLÉ POSTRES chocolate bars .

- This measure also affects other chocolate bars exported to countries such as France and Greece .

Nestlé Spain has invested nearly €5.5 million in its chocolate factory, located in La Penilla de Cayón (Cantabria), to automate the packaging system and produce plastic-free multipacks of Nestlé chocolate bars

Specifically, the factory has already begun manufacturing the new multipacks of both NESTLÉ EXTRAFINO and NESTLÉ POSTRES , eliminating the plastic wrapping around the bars and replacing it with a paper sticker on the side. This measure also affects other Nestlé France and Greece brands produced at this production facility.

The works, which began at the end of 2024 and were completed in April, also included the renovation and optimization of the packaging lines. This new technology has also reduced the use of virgin plastic by 44 tons compared to the previous year.

For Diana del Campo , director of the Nestlé factory in La Penilla de Cayón, "This new investment by Nestlé in our factory reinforces the company's commitment to sustainable food and packaging innovation. The transition to plastic-free multipacks for Nestlé chocolate bars not only represents significant progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but also responds to growing consumer demand for more sustainable products. By replacing plastic with materials such as paper, we are taking an important step towards a more responsible future aligned with our corporate values.

This investment also improves the efficiency of production processes, thus contributing to a more sustainable business model." Nestlé's benchmark factory , established in 1905 in La Penilla de Cayón, was the company's first factory in Spain . Currently, the Cantabrian factory is one of the centres of production

Nestlé Spain's most important production areas, dedicated to the production of EXTRAFINO chocolate bars , desserts, RED BOX chocolates , NESQUIK instant cocoa , infant cereals, products for NESCAFÉ DOLCE GUSTO and BUITONI empanada wafers .

The factory currently employs around 900 people. With a total production volume of approximately 86,000 tons by 2024, 48% of its annual production is exported to Europe—to countries such as France , the United Kingdom , Italy , Germany , Greece , and Portugal , among others—as well as to countries in the Middle East .

Sustainability measures

The Nestlé factory in La Penilla is known for being a pioneer in environmental protection. The plant opened its first wastewater treatment plant in 1966, twenty years before it was required by law.

Furthermore, the factory has recorded a 41% reduction in water use over the last five years. The implementation of closed circuits with cooling towers has greatly contributed to this production center's record of decrease of more than 500,000 m3 between 2020 and 2024.

Along with this significant reduction in water use, Nestlé's La Penilla factory has also implemented various measures in recent years that demonstrate its broad environmental commitment. Thus, it has a heat pump system which uses residual energy from the factory's cold production plant to heat the water used in both the production processes and the plant's air conditioning

In addition, a biomass boiler also came into operation in 2022 , which uses the husk resulting from the cocoa roasting process as raw material for obtaining steam.

Furthermore, all the electricity purchased at this production center comes from renewable sources. This factory has also achieved "zero waste to landfill" by minimizing waste generation and promoting its reuse, recycling, and recovery

About Nestlé

Nestlé is present in 185 countries around the world and has 277,000 employees, firmly committed to unleashing the full power of nutrition to improve the quality of life, today and for future generations. Its product and service offerings meet the nutritional needs of people and their pets at all stages of life.

In Spain , Nestlé set up its first factory in La Penilla de Cayón (Cantabria) in 1905. It currently has 10 production centers spread across 5 Autonomous Communities.

With a turnover of €2.582 billion and an average workforce of 4,060 people in 2024, Nestlé leads the Spanish food market with a wide range of products: baby food, dairy products, chocolates, coffees and cereal-based beverages, culinary products, breakfast cereals, mineral waters, clinical nutrition specialties, and pet food.

Disclaimer: The Above Content is Auto-Translated

[Category: Containers and Packaging , Packaging, Soft Drinks, Capital Investment ]

Source: Nestlé