The confectionery giant did it by recycling and recovering its waste materials with the help of 30 “recycling champions” across the York site.

They covered all the shifts and processes that generate production of more than a billion KitKats and 183 million Aeros at the York factory each year.

Also waste management firm, Yorwaste, of North Yorkshire had staff permanently on site organising the sending of paper, plastic, glass, packaging hazardous waste, confidential waste and electrical goods waste to its nearby materials recycling facility at Hessay or its Resource Recovery Centre at Harewood Whin.

And the result: The fulfilment of the waste-not target four years ahead of schedule.

Is it surprising that with cost savings of £120,000 per year which would otherwise have been spent on contracts to send 800 tonnes of waste to landfill, Nestlé is pitching for the Think Green Business Of The Year title in The Press Business Awards 2011?

Naturally, it is also going for the Large Business Of The Year accolade, not just because the York plant is part of the largest food and beverage company in the world, employing 7,000 people across 19 sites, but also because the expanding York factory is playing its part in exporting more than £266 million worth of products to 80 countries annually.

What is more, York-headquartered Nestlé Confectionery outperformed the market in 2010, growing its share for the third consecutive year, making it the fastest growing of the big three UK confectionery companies.

Then there is the formal planning application submitted last month for a multimillion expansion to its Product Technology Centre, which will see new investment and new jobs brought to the city.

And there is the tripling in size of the new Customer Insight and Learning Centre following a £1 million investment.

It is all part of an ongoing investment of more than £200 million to create a 21st century site that remains an important part of the York economy.

It included an upgrade in the production of much-loved chocolate brands, including £15 million spent on Kit Kat and £15.5 million on the Aero production.

A spokesman for the company said: “The work that has been achieved recently demonstrates Nestlé’s commitment to the City of York.

“The company understands the confectionery heritage and expertise that exists in the city and uses this to continue the site’s role as a Nestlé global centre of excellence.”