The chocolate industry has been one of the worst offenders in terms of packaging recyclability, but the latest innovations from Nestle and other companies are beginning to change that perception.
For the past 18 months, Cox & Co has been working towards producing a paper flow wrap to replace its compostable plastic packaging. Working closely with a paper manufacturer in Sweden, it has created its own 100% paper flow-wrapped chocolate bar.
Offering a 12-month minimum shelf life, the company said its innovative new paper flow wrap solution is a huge step in the right direction toward reducing the large amount of chocolate packaging waste that currently ends up in landfill.
“Consumers are now actively seeking brands that take sustainability seriously and products that are easy to recycle,” said Gavin Cox, founder of Cox & Co. “Chocolate is a popular household purchase and yet so little of the packaging can be easily recycled at curbside. We are set to change all that with our revolutionary new packaging, which offers a neat and tidy result without the use of plastic.”
At a time when the cost of cocoa has risen significantly due to poor harvests, this new packaging also allows the brand to reduce its packaging costs by a huge 35%, offsetting price rises and enabling it to continue to offer its bars at a competitive price.
As a smaller brand, Cox & Co has been able to pivot its production to test out new paper-based packaging solutions. “It’s taken many months of trial to get to this point, but it’s been worth the effort. Seeing that first bar roll off the production line was incredibly satisfying,” said Cox.