Sweet! New Confectionery Packaging
In global collections and studies of marine litter, sweet and crisp wrappers are one of the highest volume items. In a Scottish survey* only one sweet wrapper, from the multitude collected, had been designed to naturally biodegrade. The majority are made with plastic content and, therefore, are not widely recycled. They survive for decades, possibly centuries, posing a growing risk to marine life.
Paper-based Confectionery Packaging
Some snack brands have always had sustainability at their core; an example is Freddies Farm Snacks. They were the first snack company to use only paper-based packaging. Now others are exploring sustainable packaging solutions. In 2021, Smarties was the first global chocolate brand to commit to paper-based packaging. Boxes of Quality Street had a new look in Christmas 2022, due to their reduction in plastic wrappers.
The challenge is finding bio-based or paper-based confectionery packaging that retains the quality of the product throughout its shelf life. There are solutions out there. With many brands shifting away from single-use plastic, the wrappers on our favourite snacks may change in 2023.
Read more in this Packaging Insights article:
