Mars Wrigley UK has taken another step in its journey towards 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging with the removal of the black PE liner from its Maltesers boxes – a familiar site on store shelves since 1930.
New design set to reduce Mars Wrigley UK’s plastic usage
The company has replaced the old multi-layer box design, where the PE plastic liner covered the box, with a dispersion coated barrier paperboard. The company says the new design will reduce its annual plastic usage by 82 tonnes.
The new Maltesers box uses Metsä Board’s dispersion coated barrier board, which is fully recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable and made of fresh fibers 100% traceable to their origin in sustainably managed Northern European forests.
“At Mars, we take our responsibility for sustainable packaging seriously, and today’s announcement that our iconic Maltesers box is now fully recyclable is another important step in our journey toward packaging that is 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable,” says Adam Grant, general manager, Mars Wrigley UK.
“We are firmly committed to helping brands develop solutions that address the increasingly pressing need to take food packaging in a more sustainable direction,” says Matthew Terry, Technical Service director, South, and West Europe, Metsä Board.
Metsä Board is a European producer of premium fresh fiber paperboards and a forerunner in sustainability. It produces premium lightweight folding boxboards, food service boards, and white kraft liners for consumer goods packaging as well as retail-ready and food service applications.
Metsä Board works together with its customers on a global scale to innovate solutions for better consumer experiences with less environmental impact. The pure fresh fibers Metsä Board uses are a renewable resource, traceable to origin in sustainably managed northern forests. The company aims for completely fossil-free mills and raw materials by 2030.
The global sales network of Metsä Board supports customers worldwide, including brand owners, retailers, converters, and merchants. In 2019, the company’s sales totaled EUR 1.9 billion (approximately Rs 16,555 crore), and it has approximately 2,400 employees. Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, is listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki.
