Mars bars gain major recyclable packaging initiative in key UK retail trial
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A major environmental move has been put forward this week as Mars bars make a limited switch to recyclable packaging variants, as part of its wider sustainability drive on reducing a reliance on plastics for its product ranges, writes Neill Barston.
As the company has revealed, it is trialling its latest move on a temporary basis with 500 Tesco stores in the UK, with the feedback from its results informing future policy for its products within its portfolio.
The move has followed other major brands including Nestlé, which recently confirmed a drive towards delivering sustainable paper-based packaging for its iconic Smarties brand, which has reportedly been well received by the industry and consumers.
According to Mars, the business has been notably active in wider recycling measure, citing its involvement with the Flexible Plastic Fund – of which it is a founding member, and formed the FlexCollect initiative reportedly the largest flexible plastic packaging recycling program ever undertaken in the U.K.
Moreover, as the business explained, the three-year pilot collaboration between industry and government aimed to find solutions to collecting and recycling flexible packaging. The outcomes could provide crucial insights into how businesses and local governments can work together to bring about a critical shift in recycling.
Why is flexible packaging so widely used? It’s lightweight, non-rigid, and keeps food fresh longer while reducing carbon emissions generated by food waste. This makes it an excellent option for safe, sustainable packaging. Keeping our products safe and fresh is our top priority, but we’re just as focused on reducing our carbon footprint throughout our value chain.
Furthermore, the company added that the central message on success on such issues was that flexible packaging should becoming circular – meaning recyclable as opposed to becoming landfill, which required businesses and governments collaborating to support and encourage flexible plastics to find their way into the recycling process.
