Regardless of whether you think Snickers, Milky Ways or Mars are the elite chocolate bars (the correct answer is Mars), all sweet-toothed girlies can rejoice at the fact Mars Wrigley chocolate bars will no longer have plastic packing. Instead, your fave choccies are getting a recyclable paper glow-up so you can enjoy them guilt-free. We love to see it.
The new chocolate bar packaging will be cream coloured with a big picture of the original packing on its centre. Next to it will be a big logo which asks customers to recycle it when done.
From April onwards, once you’ve inhaled your choice of treat, you can just pop the new paper wrapper straight into your closest recycling bin — no soft plastics drama here, no sir.
Originally, the packaging for these treats would go straight to landfill. However, manufacturers Mars Wrigley Australia plans to have all packaging associated with its choccies be recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025. Which is like, only two years away really. In case you wanted to feel deeply unsettled.
The paper packaging was developed right here in Australia, after years of research at the company’s site in Ballarat. We’ll also be the first country to trial the new packaging.
“The paper is fully sustainably sourced and Forest Stewardship Council-certified, so it’s really important that we drive to improve sustainability outcomes through things like recyclable packaging,” Mars Wrigley research and development director Chris Hutton said, per ABC.
He also revealed that while it’ll cost the company a little more to produce the new packaging over the old one, it’s fine with that.
“None of the increased costs will be passed on to consumers,” Hutton said.
“We believe this is something consumers expect of brands, and we won’t be asking them to pay more for it.”
The shift to paper packaging could see Mars Wrigley Australia ditch more than 360 tonnes of plastic from its supply chain. Ultimately, its goal is to go carbon neutral by 2050.
It’s a pretty exciting development considering the unfathomable amount of plastics polluting our oceans and poisoning our land. One small step to reducing harm on this planet, right?
