Mars New Zealand announced today it will commit to recyclable packaging for some of its popular products.

Mars, Snickers and Milky Way chocolate bars will switch to paper-based wrappers in Aotearoa from June 2023.

“A result of extensive R&D trials and locally-driven innovation from Mars Wrigley’s manufacturing site in Ballarat, Australia, the new paper-based wrapper is widely recyclable through co-mingled recycling bins and paper/cardboard recycling bins across New Zealand, enabling Kiwis to easily recycle the packaging via their kerbside recycling bin,” Mars announced.

More than seven million Mars plastic wrappers end up in landfills across Aotearoa every year. They said the changes will reduce plastic waste in New Zealand landfills by 11 tonnes.

The shift mirrors changes by packaging manufacturer Huhtamäki and coffee retailer Nespresso, who also announced expansions in paper-based packaging in the last week.

Mars New Zealand general manager Peter Simmons said the transition to paper packaging is a “significant milestone” in its sustainability journey.

“As one of the largest pet food, food, and snacks and treats suppliers in New Zealand, Mars has a responsibility to reduce our environmental footprint right across our business, including packaging,” Simmons said.

 “We are focused on finding the right solution for each of our products; this includes exploring a wide range of recyclable materials to ensure we maintain the high quality and freshness of our products, whilst choosing a material that can be easily recyclable by our consumers and in line with local recycling infrastructure.”

The transition contributes to Mars’ $1 billion ‘Sustainable in a Generation’ plan and supports their commitment to the New Zealand Plastic Packaging Declaration and the ANZPAC Plastics Pact.

Mars’ paper-based packaging will be available on 47-gram and 64g Mars bars, and 44g and 64g Snickers bars.

The changes take place in Australia in April next year.