Nestlé’s chocolate factory in La Penilla de Cayón, Cantabria, has just rolled out a major packaging overhaul. The company has invested nearly €5.5 million in automating its packaging system to produce plastic-free multipacks of Nestlé chocolate bars. This move is part of Nestlé’s broader push to reduce waste and meet growing consumer demand for more sustainable products. The factory has already started making the new multipacks for brands like NESTLÉ EXTRAFINO and NESTLÉ POSTRES, swapping out plastic wrapping for paper stickers.
The production shift is expected to cut the use of virgin plastic by 44 tons annually compared to last year’s volume. The factory’s director, Diana del Campo, says this change reflects Nestlé’s commitment to sustainable food production and innovation in packaging. For consumers, it means a more eco-friendly product. For Nestlé, it’s a step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving production efficiency.
More Than Just a Packaging Change
This isn’t the factory’s first foray into sustainability. La Penilla de Cayón has been a pioneer in environmental stewardship since it opened in 1905. It was the first Nestlé factory in Spain and has remained a key production hub. Today, it employs around 900 people and churns out 86,000 tons of chocolate and other products annually. Nearly half of that output is exported to countries across Europe and the Middle East. The factory produces a range of products, including EXTRAFINO chocolate bars, NESQUIK soluble cocoa, and cereals for infants.
The facility has a long history of eco-friendly practices. It installed its first wastewater treatment plant in 1966, two decades before it became mandatory. Over the past five years, the factory has cut its water usage by 41%, thanks in part to the implementation of closed circuits with cooling towers. This change has resulted in a reduction of over 500,000 cubic meters of water between 2020 and 2024.
Other key initiatives include a heat pump system that uses residual energy from the cold production plant to heat water for both production processes and climate control. In 2022, the factory brought online a biomass boiler that uses cocoa husks from the roasting process to generate steam. All the electricity purchased by the factory comes from renewable sources. The site has also achieved “zero waste to landfill” status by minimizing waste generation and promoting reuse, recycling, or recovery.
A Broader Commitment
Nestlé’s efforts at La Penilla de Cayón reflect the company’s broader commitment to environmental sustainability. The changes underway at this factory are just one part of a larger push to reduce the company’s ecological footprint. As consumer demand for eco-friendly products continues to grow, companies like Nestlé are under pressure to innovate and adapt. The changes at La Penilla de Cayón show that even small tweaks to packaging can add up to make a big difference. By combining new packaging with other sustainability initiatives, Nestlé is taking a comprehensive approach to reducing its impact on the planet.
The factory’s production is not limited to the Spanish market; it exports to various countries, including France, the UK, Italy, Germany, Greece, and Portugal. With its long history and commitment to sustainability, the La Penilla de Cayón factory is setting a high standard for eco-friendly production practices in the food industry.