Page 20 - Packaging New magazine Jan-Feb 2023

FMCG PACKAGING
Mars Wrigley makes switch to paper wrappers
Mars Wrigley Australia’s move to paper-based wrappers for its chocolate bar lines marks a world-first for the company and is in line with the growing trend for brands to adopt fibre-based packaging materials that are kerbside recyclable. Lindy Hughson reports.
via kerbside recycling as validated by APCO’s PREP tool.”
Hutton confirmed Mars Wrigley is currently working on the second iter- ation of this packaging, which will remove the thin plastic barrier, and this will be available by the end of 2023.
“The transition to paper-based pack- aging for our locally made chocolate bars marks a significant milestone in our sus- tainability journey,” said Andrew Leakey, general manager of Mars Wrigley Australia.
“Mars’ ongoing investment in local R&D has allowed us to be agile and cre- ate 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.”
Leakey says ensuring consumers had easy access to recycle the new packaging was “crucially important” to the company.
“As one of the largest snacks and treats manufacturers in Australia, Mars has a responsibility to reduce our envi- ronmental footprint right across our business, including packaging. The launch of our new paper-based packag- ing is a significant step for us towards our local and global packaging targets.”
The step by Mars has been welcomed by Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) CEO Chris Foley, who said Mars Wrigley’s new packag- ing was a prime example of innovation within the food industry to meet pack- aging targets.
Foley said, “Mars Wrigley’s switch to paper-based packaging sets an “excellent example to all businesses in Australia of the critical role innovative packaging formats that are more read- ily recyclable play in meeting the 2025 National Packaging Targets.”
The packaging will incorporate APCO’s Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) to provide clear instructions to consumers on how to recycle it.
Once the Australian-made choco- late bar portfolio is fully transitioned to paper-based packaging, Mars Wrigley says it is set to eliminate more than 360 tonnes of plastic from its value chain. This, the company says, will contribute to its aim of creating a circular econ- omy and achieving the 2025 National Packaging Targets.
As part of the company’s commit- ment to its $1billion Sustainable in a Generation plan, Mars Wrigley says it is “committed both in Australia and globally to supporting and creating a circular economy where packaging never becomes waste”. ■
MARS WRIGLEY WILL roll out the new paper-based packaging for its Mars Bar, Snickers and Milky Way chocolate bar lines nationally from April this year, with plans for its full chocolate bar portfolio to transition.
The packaging, made from sustain- ably sourced FSC-certified paper, was developed and trialled at Mars Wrigley’s manufacturing site in Ballarat. The Ballarat-based R&D team leading this proj- ect is pioneering paper-based sustainable packaging solutions for the Mars Wrigley business globally. The plan is for the tech- nology, learnings and insights developed and deployed locally in Australia to be shared and implemented in other Mars Wrigley markets across the globe.
The packaging material is manufac- tured locally by Amcor. Chris Hutton, R&D director, told PKN, “As this is a world-first for Mars Wrigley, we didn’t have a playbook or a road map to follow, so our local R&D team worked really closely with Amcor Australia & New Zealand to come up with a solution that maintained the quality and freshness of our prod- uct, whilst working efficiently with our machinery and technology in the factory.
“They have been an incredible partner to work with and they’ve played a pivotal role in getting to where we are today.”
PKN asked about the composition of the paper material, and how it was achieving the requisite barrier prop- erties, to which Hutton responded, “Our paper-based packaging is made up of 86 per cent paper, a thin plas- tic barrier to ensure the quality and freshness of the product is maintained, seals and inks for labelling. While the packaging features a very thin plastic barrier, it remains able to be recycled
Above: The paper-based wrapper is manufactured locally by Amcor.
Below: The new packaging was developed and trialled at Mars Wrigley’s manufacturing site in Ballarat.
20 ❙ JANUARY – FEBRUARY 2023
WWW.PACKAGINGNEWS.COM.AU