Mars Wrigley Australia, the leading snacks and treats producer, has pledged to sell all Australian-made chocolate bars in recyclable paper-based wrappers.
Mars Bar, Snickers and Milky Way will be the first brands to feature the new packaging from next April.
The company’s mission is to eliminate more than 360 tonnes of plastic from its value chain once the packaging of all products has been converted over – a number of wrappers that would stretch from Melbourne to London and back again.
The innovative paper-based wrappers are the result of work by the Ballarat-based research and development team. Consumers can recycle the wrappers via kerbside recycling bins.
The technology is being implemented in Australia and other Mars Wrigley markets across the globe.
Andrew Leakey, GM at Mars Wrigley Australia, says the transition of locally made chocolate bars marks a significant milestone in the company’s sustainability journey.
“Mars’ ongoing investment in local R&D has allowed us to be agile and create solutions that have a positive impact on our environment, meet our stringent quality and food safety standards but are also convenient for our consumers to recycle via kerbside recycling,” added Leakey.
“As one of the largest snacks and treats manufacturers in Australia, Mars has a responsibility to reduce our environmental footprint right across our business, including packaging. The launch of our new paper-based packaging is a significant step for us towards our local and global packaging targets.”
Mars Wrigley is committed both in Australia and globally to creating a circular economy and achieving the 2025 national packaging targets.
From April of next year, customers can find products with paper-based wrappers at supermarkets and convenience stores nationwide. The new packaging will first appear on 47g and 64g Mars Bars, 44g and 64g Snickers, and 45g Milky Way bars.
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