Yes to paper: Nestlé ditches plastic and repackages YES! snack bars

05 Jul 2019 --- Nestlé YES! snack bars will be “the first confectionary bar on the market” to be packaged in paper using a high-speed flow wrap technology. YES! snack bars were previously packaged in flexible plastic wrappers. The wrapper is another step in Nestlé’s commitment to make all of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025. The new wrapper is made from certified Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) paper and also has approval from The Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification.

Prior to this innovation, plastic films and laminates had to be used in the high-speed production of shelf-stable snacks. However, product quality and freshness throughout the bar’s shelf-life can now still be guaranteed, even when paper is used. This means there is great potential for the rest of the confectionary industry to also switch to recyclable paper packaging, Nestlé says.

“Consumers are looking for more natural and sustainable options when they choose a snack, both in terms of ingredients and packaging. Our YES! bars are made with wholesome ingredients that celebrate and care for Nature’s diversity. We are now relaunching them carefully wrapped in paper, making the packaging easy to recycle and avoiding plastic waste,’’ says Patrice Bula, Head of Strategic Business Units, Marketing and Sales at Nestlé.

YES! is expanding its flavors, as well as its market. It is now available in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxemburg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, and the United Kingdom. More countries in Europe and beyond will follow soon.

Other companies have also recently made the switch from plastic to paper. According to Innova Market Insights, we are entering a new era of paper-based packaging, fueled by consumers’ growing anti-plastics sentiment. Mixed material packaging, where the components cannot be separated, is on its way out, and is increasingly replaced by either 100 percent paper-based or hybrid paperboard-plastic packaging. This is also going to penetrate into premium ranges, including seasonal confectionery, which has traditionally been resistant to adopting anything that could possibly compromise on the product’s luxury feel, the market specialist notes.

A 2018 Sonoco global study highlighted that consumers are more likely to buy food and beverage products if the packaging is “natural-looking.” Paper packaging is strongly positioned in this regard, creating a look and feel which consciously (or subconsciously) relates with trees and forests in the mind of the busy shopper.

In other paper packaging developments, premium tea company Pure Leaf has started to use a carton in order to reflect the brand’s “intrinsic sense of environmental responsibility.” Additionally, Unilever is trialing an ice cream multipack which uses polyethylene-coated cardboard in place of plastic wrappers. This landmark innovation uses 35 percent less plastic than the original pack.

By Katherine Durrell