Chocolate makers have come under fire for using unnecessary packaging on seasonal promotions, especially Easter eggs. For this reason, Nestle decided last year to target the packaging of seasonal chocolate products, said a company spokesperson.
The latest move in the packaging project involves the removal of plastic inserts from its Christmas selection boxes. The plastic inserts had held the chocolate bars in place and have now been replaced by a card presentation tray, making the boxes easily recyclable.
The wrappers for the bars themselves are not suitable for recycling but consumers will be able to recycle the empty boxes once they have polished off the chocolates this Christmas.
Weight management
Making packaging more suitable for recycling is accompanied by efforts to reduce excess bulk. Last year, Nestle reduced the size of Christmas selection boxes by 40 per cent and now the company has shaved off a further 17 and 20 per cent respectively off the weight of medium and large selection boxes.
Nestle said it will save almost 200 tonnes of packaging this year compared to 2009.
Besides the Christmas selection boxes, Nestle has also been working to improve the sustainable credentials of its Easter packaging. This year the company removed plastic packaging from 80 per cent of its Easter eggs, saving 400 tonnes of packaging.
Maintaining quality
“For both Easter and Christmas the challenge has been to reduce packaging, while ensuring that the product arrives at the retailer in perfect condition and, most importantly, that it looks great,” said Andy McQuade, seasonal marketing manager, Nestle Confectionery.
“We are really pleased that we’ve been able to find innovative solutions that have met these objectives and have proved immensely popular with our customers and consumers alike.”