ENRi @ Nestlé , Nestlé ’ s open innovation platform , and Nestlé EVERYDAY the biggest tea creamer in Pakistan , are looking for partners to reduce tea waste and increase agricultural yields by creating an environmentally friendly , economical and natural fertiliser for Pakistani farmers .

100 billion cups of tea are consumed every year in Pakistan alone , producing approximately 200,000 tonnes of used tea leaves . Tea leaves contain nitrogen , phosphorous and potassium : the three major nutrients that qualify any compost as a quality fertiliser . Together , these nutrients improve soil quality – maintain moisture and increase oxygen levels .

With this in mind , Nestlé

EVERYDAY is looking for partners – whether start-ups , innovators , waste management companies , or other corporate partners – to harness the potential of used tea leaves and create a potentially game-changing product .

The project consists of three phases . The first phase of the project involves finding a way to procure wasted tea . In the second phase , Nestlé EVERYDAY will collaborate with a partner to convert collected tea into a fertiliser – ideally through a composting process to further enhance its impact . Finally , the product will be commercialised and sold to local farmers as a costeffective and environmentallyfriendly solution .

This project will be piloted in Pakistan , where agriculture is the largest economic sector , with 47 %

of the land ( 30,440,000ha .) used for arable farming . The project will then be expanded into other major tea producing markets like India and China .

Muhammad Fahad , Marketing Manager Tea Enhancement and Open Innovation Lead for Nestlé Pakistan said : “ As a company , our ambition isn ’ t limited to how consumers experience our products , it ’ s also about the impact we have on the communities we operate in and the world around us . We know that there ’ s a huge opportunity to positively affect the lives and livelihoods of millions by creating a compost product out of used tea . That ’ s why we ’ re looking for partners to collaborate with us . The right product could offer an environmentally friendly , zerowaste solution to enhance

agricultural productivity around the world .”

Gerardo Mazzeo , Global Innovation Director at Nestlé , said : “ We ’ re looking for effective and creative partners to bring this initiative to fruition . This is a sustainable solution that could safeguard the environment and contribute to cleaner , greener practice for years to come . It will also help farmers to access a costeffective fertiliser solution , so they can do the right thing for the planet without making commercial compromises . Initiatives like this are a good example of HENRi ’ s overarching purpose - to positively impacting individuals , society and the planet .”

More information can be found here : https :// henri . nestle . com / liveprojects / everyday-evergreenutilising-wasted-tea-fertiliser