Marks & Spencer trials paper packaging for chocolate bars to cut plastic
Marks and Spencer (M&S) is trialing paper packaging for its Vanilla Fudge chocolate bars. The packaging, which is curbside recyclable, aims to remove 1.4 million units of plastic from M&S Foodhall over 2025.
If successful, the retailer works toward adopting paper packaging on additional chocolate bars, potentially a further five million units of plastic, says M&S.
Lucinda Langton, head of Sustainability at M&S Food, says: “By making sure our products are in packaging which is easy to recycle, we are giving our customers the confidence that they can make more sustainable choices when shopping with us.”
The pilot comes amid M&S’s switch from other plastic packaging to more eco-friendly solutions, says the retailer. For example, earlier this month, M&S introduced cardboard packaging for its Perfectly Ripe Twin Avocado packs and Ripe Avocado lines, removing an estimated seven million units of plastic.
The retailer also introduced porridge pots with a recyclable cardboard wrap that separates from the plastic pot during recycling, eliminating the need for the customer to remove it.
Paper-based solutions
M&S says paper packaging offers a more environmentally conscious solution for food products than plastic due to its recycling qualities and low energy consumption during manufacturing.
Recently, US-based Wax Paperie introduced US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-compliant wax paper with biodegradable coatings and soy-based inks: the packaging paper suits sandwiches, pastries, meat, and cheese. The paper company says biodegradable inks and coatings reduce energy consumption compared to traditional materials.
Meanwhile, UPM Specialty Papers and Eastman introduced paper-based packaging for the food industry, designed with essential grease and oxygen barriers. The packaging combines Eastman’s bio-based and compostable Solus performance additives with BioPBS polymer, creating a thin coating on UPM’s recyclable and compostable base papers.
