Mars bar plastic wrapper swapped for paper

Mars bars will now be wrapped in recyclable paper replacing the previous plastic packaging. The initiative is part of Mars Food’s pilot program aimed at exploring more environmentally friendly materials for their chocolate bars. Starting from Monday, the new paper packaging will be available in 500 Tesco stores across the UK.

The move comes after chocolate rival Nestle began using paper packaging for Smarties in 2021 and for select Quality Street sweets in 2022.

Mars has said there was a great challenge in finding the right paper packaging solution that offers adequate protection for the chocolate with the necessary barrier properties.

Many single-use plastic items such as crisp packets and chocolate bar wrappers are not recyclable and contribute to landfill waste and water pollution.

In countries like the Philippines, where large quantities of single-use plastics wash up on the shores, efforts are made to repurpose such packaging by compressing them into bottles to create bricks for construction purposes.

The RSPCA highlights the issue with single-use plastic waste, noting that it does not biodegrade but instead breaks down into smaller particles, causing long-term harm to the environment and wildlife. Although the UK government announced a ban on certain single-use plastics like plastic cutlery, plates, and polystyrene trays, it has not yet come into effect. Plastic straws have already been banned in the UK since 2020, with India following suit in 2022. France implemented a ban on single-use plastics in takeaway food establishments in January.