Special focus: Sustainability across industry under the spotlight

Despite market challenges, sustainability has remained front and centre in the confectionery industry. From eco-friendly packaging to energy-efficient production, brands are rethinking their entire supply chains to meet evolving consumer expectations and regulatory demands. Daisy Phillipson reports

Sustainability is no longer a niche concern – it’s a driving force in the confectionery industry. According to Mondelēz International’s State of Snacking: Future Trends report, 63 per cent of global consumers actively seek snacks that minimise environmental impact. In the US alone, Mintel reports that over half 56 per cent of food and drink shoppers feel good about purchasing sustainable products, and 43 per cent are willing to pay a premium for them.

These statistics underscore a clear shift: sustainability is now a competitive advantage. However, meeting consumer demand requires more than just targeted green claims. From sourcing ingredients to processing and packaging, every link in the supply chain must align with sustainability goals to ensure real, measurable progress.

Many confectionery brands are now working towards ambitious targets, such as achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 – a goal aligned with the Paris Agreement’s efforts to limit global warming. This push for lower emissions is just one of the ways operations across the industry are being reshaped, from energy-efficient processing machinery to more sustainable ingredient sourcing and packaging solutions.

Future-proof packaging
Amid these demands, eco-friendly and recyclable materials are on the rise in the confectionery sector. As highlighted by packaging machinery business Theegarten-Pactec, despite various crises, rising costs and inflation, consumers still attach value to environmentally friendly packaging.

Yet, despite this willingness on the part of consumers, confectionery brand manufacturers face challenges in other areas. When it comes to the ideal alternatives to traditional plastic packaging, such as mono-materials and paper-based packaging, they can tear more easily, are more difficult to seal and sometimes have inferior folding properties.

However, Theegarten-Pactec offers support to its customers when making this transition, and is constantly developing and refining its machines with a systematic focus on processing sustainable materials at industrial scale. An example is the company’s reengineered FPC5 – its high-speed packaging machine for chocolate bars – which can now process paper-based flow packs using both cold- and heat-sealing processes.

The machine can now produce flow packs with at least 95 per cent pure paper content. By pre-heating the seal area during material unwinding, the required heat application time is reduced, preventing damage to the packaging and product while maintaining high speeds of 100 metres per minute. The forming shoulder has also been modified to prevent paper crinkling or tearing during production. The company has also addressed sustainability in relation to its EK4 machine. Capable of packaging up to 2,300 products per minute, it can now package hard candy in a double-twist wrap of recyclable, wax-free paper, while maintaining processing speeds comparable to conventional foil wraps.

As well as using the correct machinery, Andrew Green, snacks business unit manager at Ishida, highlights the importance of trials and collaboration with the technology provider when transitioning to sustainable packaging materials.

“As packaging equipment specialists, it is our responsibility to design the machinery that can handle sustainable packaging whilst lowering energy usage,” he told Confectionery Production. “We always recommend speaking to a packaging specialist when changing film materials to make sure that any seal integrity issues can be addressed from the beginning. We also offer free demonstrations, to determine how our weighing, packing, and inspection equipment can improve our customer’s operations and trial new packaging materials before having to make firm commitments.”

Throughout recent years, Ishida has made packaging machinery that address a variety of industry issues such as productivity, cost and sustainability. The Ishida CCW-AS multihead weigher range is said to deliver increased productivity alongside a 20 per cent reduction in energy consumption compared to previous models.

Meanwhile, the company’s Auto Splice module, paired with the Inspira Boxmotion bagmaker, heat-seals film reels in under 20 seconds, ensuring continuous production while reducing downtime, waste and human error. As more confectionery manufacturers move towards increased sustainability, the need for good process data has risen significantly. With this in mind, Ishida developed the new Sentinel 5.0 production monitoring software, which combines machine performance monitoring with comprehensive data capture to give food manufacturers a more in-depth analysis of their entire food production line from a single workstation. Green concluded:

“Based on the Industry 5.0 principles of human-to-machine collaboration, this new software utilises AI technology for a deeper understanding of which packaging machines are not working at optimum efficiency, and therefore providing vital process information to make data-driven decisions.”

Collaboration is key
Jim Greenberg, co-president at Union Confectionery Machinery, has also noticed an uptick in green packaging. “In recent years, our confectionery customers have rightfully opted to source sustainable packaging materials, which have presented some challenges for second hand packaging machinery,” he told us. “The requests are most frequently directed toward flow wrapping and chocolate bar wrapping in papers that are highly sustainable.”

Union Confectionery Machinery, which offers a wide range of quality new, rebuilt and used equipment at competitive prices, continues to work with both its customers and their desired packaging materials to ensure the equipment and packaging materials are compatible.

As consumer expectations evolve, confectionery manufacturers must not only meet sustainability goals but also ensure their packaging solutions align with practical production needs. A case in point is gourmet biscuit producer Delica AG, which needed to update its established picker line to enable the handling of a variety of products, in both flowpack and trays, with increased productivity.

The company opted for a Flowpacker from packaging machinery specialist Schubert. Instead of the previous ten, eight F4 arms in a double-pick process now enable a throughput of up to 728 products per minute, without affecting production. Sustainability is also important to Delica, where at its Meilen site, a new process cooling system that uses water from Lake Zurich was put into operation in 2021.

With this in mind, Schubert facilitated Delica’s potential transition to more environmentally friendly paper trays by integrating a second F2 robot and designing the tray denester to be larger than necessary. Kaspar Huber, deputy technical director at Delica’s Meilen site, said, “With its ability to process both tray and flowwrapped products, the new Flowpacker basically combines two machines into a single, highly efficient and flexible solution.

We can now productively utilise our freed-up personnel capacities elsewhere.” Processing and packaging specialist Syntegon also offers a range of solutions that allow food manufacturers to seamlessly transition to sustainable packaging processes.

“With the European Union’s Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) taking effect in 2030, sustainable packaging will no longer be just an image decision, but a legal requirement,” recently explained Torsten Sauer, director of sustainability at Syntegon.

“That is why we support manufacturers both in terms of machines and service offerings with our innovative technologies and integrated packaging systems. Our goal is to help them prepare for these new market conditions so that they can make a seamless transition to sustainable, PPWR-compliant packaging.”

The company’s VFFS SVX Agile, for example, can produce pouches made from mono-material, while its Kliklok ACE carton erector can form glueless carton trays. More recently, Syntegon launched the new Kliklok ACC carton closer, said to ensure reliable and efficient processing with outputs of up to 200 cartons per minute.

Embracing the digital transformation
Cama Group, which serves the confectionery, bakery and snack markets with its wide range of packaging solutions, notes how consumer demand and advancing legislation are reshaping the industry. “Gone are the days of one machine for one job; we must produce machines that can handle multiple flavours and multiple formats, while also having the capability to process more sustainable materials,” observed Alessandro Rocca, group sales director at Cama Group.

In the context of sustainability, an example of how to meet goals without compromising sales performance and satisfying consumer expectations is with Cama’s labelling technology, which can be used to replace multipack flow wraps with labels that secure individual products into shelf-ready packages.

This can be applied to products such as chocolate, cake bars or wafers, all of which can be secured together by a common shared label and then taken individually as required. While the primary packaging is still required to maintain product integrity, secondary stickers or labels using the same material means they can be recycled. As is the case with any operation, the material used is just one piece of the puzzle. Cama’s digital tools further elevate performance and sustainability by optimising machine efficiency and enabling real-time data analysis.

The company’s deployment of Industry 4.0 technology spans five key areas, including digital twin and simulation, augmented reality (AR), smart devices, connected machines and system integration, edge computing and data analysis, and predictive maintenance. As previously reported, sustainability is also at the centre of design for Hugo Beck’s packaging machinery portfolio.

The firm’s flowpack X allows confectionery manufacturers to swiftly switch between recyclable films to paper-based solutions, while its continuous Form Fill and Seal machines are specifically designed to optimise film utilisation, keeping packaging material use to a minimum. “By investing in machinery that can adapt to the latest trends in sustainable packaging materials, businesses can ensure they remain competitive and future-proofed in the confectionery market,” explained Timo Kollmann, managing director at Hugo Beck.

The company has also embraced the digital revolution, with many of its packaging machines equipped with advanced tools, such as smart user guidance via CoPilot and touch screen interfaces, and compatibility with Siemens TIA Portal or Rockwell Automation control systems.

A holistic approach

As sustainability drives innovation across the confectionery industry, micro-trends like TikTok’s Dubai Chocolate can be perfect examples of how small-batch, high-quality production meets consumer demand while aligning with eco-conscious values. Premium chocolate brand Urban Cacao decided to tap into this craze with its own version of the Dubai bar, which it was able to package in a sustainable way thanks to Lareka’s BTB25 chocolate wrapping machine.

Lareka highlights how its BTB25 is well suited to the requirements of the product. Not only are the bars costly to make and often produced in lower volumes, but they’re also delicate due to the thin layer of chocolate that houses the substantial pistachio-künefe filling. All of these challenges are tackled by the machine, which can wrap a wide range of bars and tablets in premium packaging styles, using two layers of material.

The inner layer can be any material with high-barrier and folding capabilities, while the outer layer is wrapped in crafted paper or cardboard, further supporting users’ commitment to meeting environmental standards. Of course, when it comes to sustainability, no detail is too small. Whether it’s packaging materials, energy usage or even adhesives, every step contributes. One company that demonstrates this is Robatech, which offers sustainable and innovative adhesive application systems.

The firm recently introduced an upgraded version of its all-electric Volta hot melt jetting head, making it even more powerful. With the integrated stitching function, companies can now reduce their adhesive consumption by up to 60 per cent. Not only does this help counteract rising production costs, but it also enables 60 per cent lower energy consumption compared to conventional pneumatic application heads, as it operates entirely without compressed air. The jetting head now offers a service life of up to two billion operating cycles, which helps to reduce the carbon footprint of production operations.

Energy efficiency
At the processing level, machinery and technology developers continue to refine their designs with sustainability in mind. Just as with packaging, advanced processing machinery plays a crucial role in reducing waste, lowering energy consumption and enhancing the efficiency of production lines.

Machinery specialist Walterwerk Kiel has made sustainability a central aspect in the development and design of its wafer baking machines, particularly when it comes to the energy supply and the reduction of gas consumption. “To counter the current uncertainties regarding future energy sources, Walter has developed a retrofit for today’s gas-fired ovens,” said Markus Bartels, general manager at Walterwerk Kiel.

“As soon as the supply of green electricity increases, our customers can switch their fleet of ovens to electricity. In this way, Walter customers can be sure that their current investment will last into the future. The Elektra oven concept enables energy consumption to be reduced by more than 26 per cent compared to our systems with gas.” Additionally, Bartels noted how digitalisation and sustainability work well together in different ways. “First of all, our Walter service app reduces the travelling of our service technicians since our customer service team can help quickly and competently remotely,” he explained.

“Another important digital feature at our Walter machines is the process monitoring. By using different tools like OEE, our customers can reduce their waste rate and likewise optimise their use of resources. Furthermore, they can control their gas and compressed air consumption by being continuously informed and able to act when necessary.” Winkler und Dünnebier Süßwarenmaschinen (WDS), which offers production lines for a wide variety of confectionery products, also highlighted the sustainability benefits that can be achieved using digital solutions.

The company’s technical director, Carsten Butz, explained, “Energy and resource monitoring is important to reduce the CO2 footprint. “Transparency of all data and status of a process chain is a prerequisite for targeted process optimisation and increased efficiency.

This is especially true for energy data, in order to identify the necessary measures for targeted reductions and savings. WDS has been providing the basis for this in all new lines for some years now. The current consumption data of the energy sources can be recorded via the system control and visualised on the SweetConnect platform.” SweetConnect is an innovative digital platform driving efficiencies across confectionery manufacturing, having been established to sensitively share performance and production data in a secure manner in a bid to maximise output collectively across the companies’ respective operations. Alongside WDS, the platform includes key names such as Sollich, Chocotech and Theegarten-Pactec.

In October 2024, machinery business Aasted was announced as a SweetConnect shareholder. “Only together, we can replace piecemeal approaches and work towards a unified solution that benefits all,” commented Tim Hellwig of SweetConnect. “All partners involved in the process chain can provide their machine and energy data to the platform for centralised visualisation via SweetConnect,” added Butz. “Further specific analyses, such as peak load detection, are planned, as well as an application that will one day be able to determine the CO2 footprint of a product.

Sustainability at the source
In the world of ingredients, sustainability is equally front and centre. Palsgaard, which specialises in food emulsifiers and stabilisers, teamed up with Aarhus University for a €5 million sustainabilityfocused project, inviting food manufacturers to collaborate on a project to develop new plant-based alternatives for egg products.

The PIER (plant-based food ingredients to be egg replacers) scheme aims to replace 10 per cent of the eggs used globally as ingredients in food products such as baked goods, dressings, desserts and ready meals. As Palsgaard announced last year, manufacturers now have the opportunity to become frontrunners on the venture, which is designed to cut recipe costs while also reducing carbon footprint. Sustainability is central to colouring foods specialist GNT, which recently earned its first EcoVadis gold medal for environmental and ethical efforts, placing it in the top 3 per cent of the food manufacturing industry.

The company, known for its Exberry colours made from fruit, vegetables and plants, has set out a number of sustainability targets, with its successes so far including a 22 per cent reduction in carbon intensity at Exberry factories since 2020 and a 13 per cent improvement in water efficiency. Additionally, the business recently launched GNT Ventures, an independent investment arm to identify and nurture start-ups with the potential to help pioneer new and improved, sustainable plant-based colouring solutions, with a focus on raw materials and fermentation, processing, food ingredients and upcycling.

Functional ingredients company Capol also prioritises sustainability and corporate responsibility, closely aligning with the values of its parent company, Freudenberg. As Ann-Christin Meier, head of marketing and communications, explained: “We continue to innovate strategies that reduce our environmental footprint, enhance sustainability for our customers, and strengthen our corporate responsibility.” Capol’s commitment extends to product safety and quality, ensuring all raw materials undergo strict controls, with full traceability from source to final product. “Our efficient quality management system ensures food safety across all processing stages,” Meier added. In addition to reducing environmental impact, Capol places a strong emphasis on ethical sourcing.

The company is committed to sustainable, ethical raw material procurement, focusing on ingredients from natural sources. Capol fosters transparency with its suppliers, working to trace raw materials down to farm and field level. The business is also a founding member of the Initiative for Responsible Carnauba (IRC) and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). “We regularly go far beyond the standard for certified carnauba wax,” Meier added, underscoring the company’s role in promoting responsible sourcing and sustainable practices across its supply chain.