Kickstart: Who will buy Poland Spring?

Swiss food and beverage giant Nestlé SA is looking to sell most of its North American packaged water brands in favor of more "premium" international brands.

In a June 11 news release, Vevey-based Nestlé said it will "explore strategic options, including a potential sale, for the majority of the Nestlé Waters business in North America, excluding its international brands. This review is expected to be completed by early 2021."

That move would include regional brands such as Poland Spring, Deer Park, Ozarka, Ice Mountain, Zephyrhills, Arrowhead and its office beverage delivery services operating under the ReadyRefresh and Pure Life brands. The North American water business has annual sales of more than $3.5 billion, according to Nestlé.

Nestlé will instead focus on its Perrier, S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna brands. As it does, Nestlé said it will be able to focus on sustainability brands, pledging to "achieve carbon neutrality" for the premium brands, improve its water stewardship and drive more work in the circular economy by using more recycled PET and rolling out "alternative delivery systems."

As the Wall Street Journal notes, though, unloading low-value brands for those that sell at a premium will make it easier for Nestlé to meet those sustainability goals.

Selling off the water businesses is only part of Nestlé's sustainability goals. At the start of June it announced it had successfully shifted its Smarties-brand sharing block-sized chocolate bars to a recyclable paper wrapper, rather than plastic or laminate packaging, which is difficult to recycle.

The National Association of Manufacturers is continuing to make moves toward more inclusive hiring following weeks of protests in the U.S. "in the wake of the May 25 murder of George Floyd under the knee of a white police officer in Minneapolis."

The the executive committee for Washington-based NAM unanimously passed an 11-point
commitment plan for manufacturers to "advance justice, equality and opportunity for black people and all people of color."

"We condemn hate, bias and racial division in the strongest of terms, even as they remain woven into the fabric of our society," NAM said in its pledge. "As leaders who represent manufacturers in the United States, we recognize the integral role our industry has historically played in lifting up people and communities, and the opportunity and obligation we have now to stand with and support all people who face injustice."

Among the plan's 11 points:

• Increasing representation of black people and all people of color at all levels of our companies and organizations — entry level, midlevel and senior level.

• Expanded education, training and scholarships.

• Removing barriers for those inside prisons reentering society.

• Encouraging increased minority participation in voting.

• Diversifying the supply chain.

When we planned our editorial calendar for 2020, we at Plastics News expected a lot of coverage from the North American International Auto Show this week, following days of press previews and industry events in Detroit.

The auto show, obviously, did not happen, but that doesn't mean that there's no news from the auto industry. Our auto reporter, Sarah Kominek, has a range of stories about how auto suppliers are adjusting to a very unexpected 2020 and the difficult odds some of those companies face. Our materials expert, Frank Esposito, also checked in with resin companies to get their take on what 2020 will bring. Frank and Editor Don Loepp will also talk materials in Polymer Points Live on June 16, so check in to ask more about the impact on the auto industry.

You can read all their coverage in this week's print edition (available as a digital download now) or online this week at plasticsnews.com, starting with Sarah's feature on one company expecting growth despite weeks of stalled production.