UK –  Nestle’s Quality Street has introduced recyclable FSC-certified paper packaging for its twist-wrapped sweets worldwide.

The change to the foil wrapping comes after 86 years and is expected to be made in time for Christmas.

The landmark move from dual foil and cellulose to recyclable paper wrappers will see Quality Street remove almost 2.5 billion pieces of packaging material from its global supply chain.

Developed by packaging experts at Nestlé’s Confectionery Research and Development Center in York, UK, the transition to paper required extensive development in the engineering of new materials, coating technologies, printing techniques and the adaptation of existing equipment.

The company says its two flavors – Orange Crunch and the Green Triangle – will remain in their existing foil wrappers as they can already be recycled.

The move to new paper packaging for the nine remaining twist-wrapped sweets will take a few months to fully implement.

Louise Barrett, Head of the Nestlé Confectionery Product Technology Centre in York, said: “With nine different sweets to consider, the transition has been a huge undertaking.

“Each of our existing machines needs to be adapted to run paper and then rigorously tested by our packaging experts to ensure we’re still delivering the same quality consumers expect when they open a box of Quality Street.

Barret continued: “Quality Street made history from the start, using the world’s first twist-wrapping machine to revolutionize the way chocolates were manufactured and sold.

“Now we are making history again with the introduction of paper packaging for our famous sweets.

“We hope the fact that our famous sweets are now recyclable will make finding your own Quality Street favorites even more popular this year.”

The transition to paper, which is now underway, will take several months to complete. This means that for Christmas 2022, consumers will find a mix of both the old and new wrappers in their Quality Street cartons, pouches, tubs, and tins.

Meanwhile, Nestlé’s KitKat will also launch wrappers made with 80% recycled plastic that can be recycled at stores across the UK and in household recycling in Ireland.

These wrappers can be recycled at more than 5,000 supermarkets across the UK – and placed in household recycling in the Republic of Ireland.

The rollout will begin this month on the brand’s flagship two-finger products, before being extended across the entire range by 2024.

Purchased by more than 6 in 10 households in the UK, KitKat will use the highest proportion of recycled food-grade plastic of any major UK & Ireland confectionery brand.

The launch is part of Nestlé’s ongoing commitment to reducing its environmental impact and supporting a circular economy. 

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