Nestlé x Ogilvy Colombia Introduce "Self-Packing Cheese"

Summary

• Nestlé and Ogilvy Colombia created “Self-Packing Cheese” using biodegradable packaging
• The packaging is made from cheese whey
• The innovation aims to reduce plastic waste

Nestlé Central America has unveiled a biodegradable cheese wrapper made from sustainable packaging.

Developed in collaboration with Ogilvy Colombia, the innovative material replaces traditional plastic film on the ¡Qué rico! cheese brand in Panama. The new packaging utilizes cheese whey, described as “a byproduct with a low level of utilization despite having similar properties to plastic.” It’s currently in its early stages, with Nestlé set to produce 5.500 tons of ¡Qué rico! cheese.

Unlike conventional plastic, this “self-wrapping” cheese concept offers a more sustainable solution by using part of the product itself as its packaging. The translucent, lightweight film marks a significant step toward reducing plastic waste, with plans to extend this innovation to other products.

Gastón Potasz, Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy Colombia, said in a statement, “In pursuit of our creative excellence goals, we open our Impact Lab—a pioneering initiative designed to craft advertising solutions that seamlessly blend sustainability, technology, and innovation. We are proud of delivering ideas that inspire meaningful change in society and deliver tangible results for our clients. And ‘Self-Packing Cheese’ stands as a clear testament to the significant accomplishments of the Impact Lab as we identified an extraordinary opportunity in cheese production: we will be utilizing the whey to produce its own bio packaging, drastically reducing plastic usage.”

“This major impact on the environment and business could be reflected not just in cheese packaging but as a widely used solution. Imagine how powerful this discovery will be. Above all, we are committed to developing solutions that are not only impactful today but also sustainable for generations to come,” added Potasz