Nestlé Smarties

NESTLÉ SMARTIES SWITCH TO PAPER PACKAGING WORLDWIDE

Nestlé has revealed that its Smarties brand is switching to recyclable paper packaging for all of their products worldwide.

This represents quite a substantial adoption of 90% of the Smarties range, as 10% was previously already packed in recyclable paper packaging.

smarties sharing block

In UK, the Smarties Sharing Block was launched in a recyclable paper wrapper in June 2020, but now other products in the range have followed suit.

The company highlighted that Smarties is the first global confectionery brand to switch to recyclable paper packaging, removing approximately 250 million plastic packs sold globally every year.

The move will help in achieving Nestlé’s commitment to make 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025.

Alexander von Maillot, Global Head of Confectionery at Nestlé, said:

Shifting Smarties packaging to recyclable paper is one of our key sustainable packaging initiatives in the confectionery category.

It is a further step in realizing Nestlé’s ambition to make all of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025 and to reduce its use of virgin plastics by one third in the same period.

Smarties in recyclable paper packaging

The new Smarties paper packaging is sourced sustainably and is made of a coated paper, paper labels or carton board. A lot of progress has been made in recent years toward coating paper, in a sustainable way that helps preserve the contents.

Finding the right material was a challenge for the R&D team at Nestlé as paper is a desirable product because it is recyclable.

However, it does not have the same functional properties as plastic. i.e. it’s more fragile and it’s not moisture and oxygen proof.

They worked closely with paper experts to responsibly source a material that was sufficiently durable, but could seal and be recyclable.

Louise Barrett, Head of the Nestlé R&D Center for Confectionery in York, UK, said:

Developing safe and convenient paper-based solutions for Smarties has required the pioneering of new materials and testing by Nestlé packaging experts at our R&D Center for confectionery in York, UK and the Swiss-based Institute of Packaging Sciences.

We adapted our existing manufacturing lines to allow for the careful handling that is required for paper, while also ensuring recyclability across all new formats.

So, why Smarties? Mark Davies, Vice President of the Strategic Business Unit said:

Smarties represents positivity, hope and the vivacity of the world. We therefore want to play our part in ensuring we protect the planet for future generations.

It seemed only logical that the brand invest in switching to recyclable paper packaging. It presented an opportunity to implement the type of change that could be both meaningful and long-lasting.

Author

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

en_GBEnglish