AUSTRALIA – Nestlé’s KitKat, one of the world’s most popular confectionery products, is introducing recyclable paper packaging as a pilot test for the brand.
According to Nestlé Australia, the recyclable paper packaging will be available for a limited time for its four-finger bar in Australia, across Western Australia, South Australia and Northern Territory.
Nestlé will produce more than a quarter of a million KitKat bars wrapped in paper in an exclusive partnership with Coles, a local retailer.
The pack has a QR code that people can scan to have their say and give valuable feedback on the new paper packaging.
Packaging experts at Nestlé’s Confectionery Research and Development Center in York, UK adapted and tested the paper while scaling it up for use on modified high-speed flow wrapping equipment.
Louise Barrett, Head of the Nestlé Confectionery Product Technology Centre in York, said: “We are exploring different types of alternative packaging solutions for our confectionary products.
“For KitKat, the challenge was to find the right paper packaging solution with a high level of barrier properties to adequately protect the chocolate.
“We had to maintain the perfect balance between the iconic crispy wafer and smooth chocolate that people know and love, whilst at the same time ensuring the packaging is recyclable in the paper stream.”
The paper packaging pilot for KitKat is another positive step in Nestle’s commitment to using innovation to meet its packaging commitments.
The firm has set a goal to reduce the use of virgin plastics by a third by 2025, which includes using less plastic, recycled plastic, and alternatives to plastic packaging.
Other recent innovations are Smarties, which introduced recyclable paper packaging for all its confectionery products globally in 2021 and Quality Street, which introduced recyclable paper wrappers in 2022.
Meanwhile, Nestlé announced (in Dec, last year) plans to invest over CHF 100 million (US$107 million) by 2030 in low-carbon logistics for its three international water brands – S. Pellegrino, Acqua Panna, and Perrier.
The company said the investment will focus on optimizing logistics routes and accelerating train transport, increasing the use of alternative fuels and transportation options, as well as testing alternative transport options.
Logistics and packaging (under scope 3 emissions) account for a majority of Nestlé’s international water brands’ emissions, according to a lifecycle assessment peer-reviewed by environmental sustainability consultancy, Quantis.
Together with its logistics partners and customers, Nestlé Waters is reducing the number of truck journeys by optimizing payloads and routes, by shifting towards alternative modes of transport.
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