The past few months have not been easy for sweets manufacturers: they have been characterized by high raw material costs, inflation, and new regulatory requirements. Despite these external influences, however, “Mars” was able to allow itself a short break last May for an anniversary celebration. The 45th birthday of the chocolate factory in Viersen was on the agenda.
The Group wants to extend this timeline, as the factory is currently undergoing a four-year modernization phase until 2026. This also includes a new packaging line, which will go into operation this year and enable the bars to be packaged directly before delivery, according to the company. It is part of the Group’s sustainability strategy, as is the reduction of the usage of new plastic by 25 percent.
By 2025, 100 percent of plastic packaging should be reusable, recyclable or compostable, and on top of that, the target is an average of 30 percent recycled material. Part of the strategy is to use as little material as possible for predominantly flexible packaging and to integrate it into a circular economy.
Many producers are trying to achieve integration into an existing or the development of a new circular economy by increasing the use of paper. Mondelez also launched a test phase with its Milka brand at the end of June and is offering a limited quantity of Milka Alpine Milk chocolate in paper packaging.
PPWR: Smaller Companies Have Some Catching Up to Do
It can be observed that large corporations usually set themselves higher targets and tighter timeframes compared to smaller companies. According to materials expert Laura Grascho from the Schubert Group, a producer of packaging machines, large corporations are ahead of small and medium-sized companies when it comes to converting packaging materials. They find it easier, she says in an interview with Fachpack 360°. However, there are also problems in the industry due to the PPWR, the EU’s new packaging regulation. “On the one hand, it doesn’t seem to have reached all of our customers yet. The big players have been working towards it for a long time and have also set their own sustainability targets, but for many it’s kind of a surprise.” With all the back and forth, this is no wonder, because until recently, nobody knew exactly whether it was coming at all.
Ferrero Wants to Become More Sustainable
It is fitting that Ferrero is another company that sees itself on the right track with its efforts and goals. The Italian confectionery specialist wants to achieve a smaller carbon footprint through measures in production and packaging. According to the company, 90.7 percent of packaging in the 2022/2023 financial year, which ended on August 31, 2023, was designed to be recyclable, reusable, or compostable. This means that this proportion has increased by 2.2 percentage points compared to the previous year. 78 percent of plastic films are made from mono-material. The replacement of polystyrene containers with polypropylene has led to a saving of around 6,000 tons of cumulative plastic. In Europe, the 24-piece-rocher containers are currently being replaced, a process that started last year.
