Nestlé is moving its famous confectionery Smarties to recyclable packaging, it announced this week. The new paper packaging is made from sustainably sourced coated paper, paper labels or carton board.
Nestlé global head of confectionery Alexander von Maillot said the decision was one if the company’s key sustainable packaging initiatives in its confectionery category.
Von Maillot said: “It is a further step in realising 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.”
The move will remove around 250 million plastic packets from circulation every year.
Nestlé Confectionery Product Technology Centre head Louise Barrett said the packaging was the result of pioneering new materials to ensure the paper-based solution was safe and convenient.
Barrett said testing was carried out by the company’s packaging experts at its UK-based R&D Centre of Confectionery 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,” she said.
Nestlé said it made significant investments to upgrade its factories globally, including one of its largest facility in Hamburg, Germany.
Nestlé’s commitment to sustainable packaging solutions was made clear when it launched its Institute of Packaging Services in 2019, saying its vision was a world where no Nestlé packaging ended up in landfill.
At the time Nestlé chief technology officer Stefan Palzer said, "Reducing plastic waste and mitigating climate change effects through cutting-edge technology and product design are a priority for us. Nestlé experts are co-developing and testing new environmentally friendly packaging materials and systems together with our development centres, suppliers, research institutions and start-ups.”
In 2019, the company developed recyclable paper packaging for Nesquik All Natural Cocoa Powder and the Yes! snack bars.
Last year, Cadbury trialled a 100 per cent sustainable sourced recyclable paper wrapper for its chocolate products in New Zealand as it moves towards more sustainable packaging solutions.
