Mars brand Kind Snacks moves to enhance recycling of US ranges
A significant eco-friendly move has been unveiled by Mars Wrigley owned Kind Snacks band, as it unveils its debut curbside recyclable paper wrapper pilot in the US, reports Neill Barston.
The company, which is due to make a key appearance at this year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo (between 13-15 May) which opens tomorrow after its opening supplier showcase begins this afternoon, has continued to place sustainability measures high on its agenda.
As the business noted, the move marks a significant step in achieving a recycle-ready wrapper for the bars category while the brand continues to make progress towards its goal of ensuring all packaging is designed for recyclability by 2030.
Made with pulpable paper, Kinds’ pilot will be leveraging a curbside recyclable, How2Recycle pre-qualified paper type. This innovative packaging material will help make it possible for consumers to recycle, enabling them to make a kinder choice – both on the shelf and for the planet.
The KIND paper wrapper will be available exclusively at select Whole Foods Market stores across Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Texas, southern California and select stores in Louisiana, Arizona and Nevada starting May 1st through October 1st while supplies last for Kinds’s best-selling Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt single bars.
“Our collaboration with KIND represents a true paradigm shift in sustainable packaging,” says Whole Foods Market Principal Packaging Advisor, Sandra Lewis. “Through their innovative development of this recyclable paper wrapper, they’re fundamentally reimagining how snack foods can be packaged. Working together to bring this solution to our shelves represents a significant milestone in our mission to reduce single-use plastics.”
The company first delivered a paper-based wrapper in 2023, which was an eCommerce trial available exclusively on kindsnacks.com. This initial pilot was instrumental to KIND’s progress. It gave the brand a robust foundation of consumer feedback and performance insights, like preliminary shelf life, transit and machinability data. After spending the last year in R&D integrating learnings, KIND and its partners are excited to bring this improved, fully recyclable wrapper to market.
“At KIND, we’re constantly listening to our consumers, and what we hear is clear — they want products that not only deliver exceptional quality but also align with their values,” says Osher Hoberman, Chief Marketing Officer of KIND North America. “This new paper wrapper pilot is a direct result of that feedback. We’re proud to continue to lead the industry with bold, forward-thinking and innovative solutions, not just for our packaging, but across our entire product portfolio.”
KIND’s technical packaging partner, Printpack, was instrumental in developing this latest version, which is a How2Recycle pre-qualified curbside recyclable wrapper. “Developing a recyclable paper wrapper in less than two years demonstrates remarkable progress in sustainable packaging innovation,” says Printpack Chief Strategy Officer, David Love. “This breakthrough sets a new standard for sustainable solutions in the food packaging industry and shows what’s possible when companies prioritize environmental stewardship.”
KIND’s ambitious packaging goal, to help make all our packaging designed for recyclability by 2030, is part of the brand’s overall sustainability strategy. This latest paper wrapper pilot will continue KIND’s legacy of leading the industry through projects and pilots grounded in science with scalability in mind.
