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Syntegon
Going with the flow
Confectionery and film packaging go together like a horse and carriage – or rather they used to. Times are changing and so is the material that confectionary bars are wrapped in. Today, consumer goods companies are looking for more sustainable materials. As a result, Mars Wrigley is investigating the flow-wrapping potential of paper and working with long-term partner Syntegon Technology, in order to operate a large-scale test at a leading German food retailer.
Balisto® is kind of a cult product in Germany: the flat, chocolate-covered cookie snack bar is offered in a range of flavour variants and colourful packaging. The snack is part of the Mars Wrigley product portfolio including internationally renowned brands such as M&M‘S®, SNICKERS® and KIND®, which are sold in over 180 countries. As a major Mars business segment next to Petcare and Food, Mars Wrigley is aligned with the Mars Corporate Sustainability Vision to a Healthier Planet. Mars is a core partner of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s (EMF) New Plastic Economy initiative and one of the first signatories of the EMF’s Global Commitment to eliminate plastic waste and pollution at its source. The Mars Vision is aligned with EMF to support a circular economy where packaging never becomes waste. To make this vision a reality, by 2025 Mars plans to reduce virgin plastic use by 25% and ensure 100% of its plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable.
Going the paper mile Where less established materials are at play, Mars Wrigley recognises that suitable packaging materials need to be developed and tested regarding product performance criteria and market acceptance. “As challenging as this process can be, we wanted to go the extra mile to deliver on our sustainability commitment and our commitment to quality,” says Gerben Santegoeds, Global Technology Principal Engineer Packaging at Mars Wrigley.
The company has already launched several pilot projects across Europe. The valuable insights gained from these pilots can then be harnessed to develop sustainable packaging solutions in all categories of Mars Wrigley’s portfolio. One of the pilots now underway is Balisto® Honey Almond. In line with the company’s vision to use more recyclable material, the bar is currently being packaged in a paper-based flow wrap for validation purposes. For this solution to become a reality, Mars Wrigley had to develop and test a paper-based flow wrap for single bars and multipacks.
“ Finding the answers meant seeking the support from a trusted packaging technology partner: Syntegon Technology ” “This was a real challenge. We needed to reassess the properties and packaging potential of a material that was previously not used for this kind of product,” Santegoeds points out and ponders the questions: “What barrier properties does paper offer? What about grease retention? And how will it perform on horizontal flow wrappers that usually process conventional film?” Finding the answers meant seeking the support from a trusted packaging technology partner: Syntegon Technology.
SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS
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