EcoWatch
Facebook 558k Twitter 222k Instagram 52k Subscribe Subscribe
  • Climate
  • Energy
  • Conservation
  • Food + Agriculture
  • Renewables
  • Oceans
  • Policy
  • Insights + Opinion
  • Go Solar Today
      • Top Companies By State
        • California Solar Companies
        • Texas Solar Companies
        • New York Solar Companies
        • Florida Solar Companies
        • See All States
      • Top Incentives By State
        • California Solar Incentives
        • Texas Solar Incentives
        • New York Solar Incentives
        • Florida Solar Incentives
        • See All States
      • Solar Panel Costs By State
        • Solar Panel Costs in California
        • Solar Panel Costs in Texas
        • Solar Panel Costs in New York
        • Solar Panel Costs in Florida
        • See All States
      • Value of Solar by State
        • Is Solar Worth It In California?
        • Is Solar Worth It in Texas?
        • Is Solar Worth It New York?
        • Is Solar Worth It In Florida?
        • See All States
      • Company Reviews
        • Tesla Solar Review
        • Sunrun Solar Review
        • SunPower Solar Review
        • Vivint Solar Review
        • See All Companies
      • Common Solar Questions
        • Can You Get Free Solar Panels?
        • Does Solar Increase Home Value?
        • What’re The Best Solar Batteries?
        • Can You Finance Solar?
        • Where To Buy Solar Panels?
        • Payback On Solar Panels?
      • Solar Resources
        • Interactive Solar Calculator
        • Federal Solar Tax Credit
        • Best Solar Panels For Most Homes
        • Tesla Solar Roof Review
        • Cheapest Solar Panels
      • Companies Compared
        • SunPower vs Tesla Solar
        • SunRun vs Tesla Solar
        • SunRun vs SunPower
        • SunPower vs Momentum Solar
        • SunPower vs ADT Solar
EcoWatch
  • Climate
  • Energy
  • Conservation
  • Food + Agriculture
  • Renewables
  • Oceans
  • Policy
  • Insights + Opinion
  • Go Solar Today
    • Go Solar Today
    • Top Companies By State
      • California Solar Companies
      • Texas Solar Companies
      • New York Solar Companies
      • Florida Solar Companies
      • See All States
    • Top Incentives By State
      • California Solar Incentives
      • Texas Solar Incentives
      • New York Solar Incentives
      • Florida Solar Incentives
      • See All States
    • Solar Panel Costs By State
      • Solar Panel Costs in California
      • Solar Panel Costs in Texas
      • Solar Panel Costs in New York
      • Solar Panel Costs in Florida
      • See All States
    • Value of Solar by State
      • Is Solar Worth It In California?
      • Is Solar Worth It in Texas?
      • Is Solar Worth It New York?
      • Is Solar Worth It In Florida?
      • See All States
    • Company Reviews
      • Tesla Solar Review
      • Sunrun Solar Review
      • SunPower Solar Review
      • Vivint Solar Review
      • See All Companies
    • Common Solar Questions
      • Can You Get Free Solar Panels?
      • Does Solar Increase Home Value?
      • What’re The Best Solar Batteries?
      • Can You Finance Solar?
      • Where To Buy Solar Panels?
      • Payback On Solar Panels?
    • Solar Resources
      • Interactive Solar Calculator
      • Federal Solar Tax Credit
      • Best Solar Panels For Most Homes
      • Tesla Solar Roof Review
      • Cheapest Solar Panels
    • Companies Compared
      • SunPower vs Tesla Solar
      • SunRun vs Tesla Solar
      • SunRun vs SunPower
      • SunPower vs Momentum Solar
      • SunPower vs ADT Solar

The best of EcoWatch right in your inbox. Sign up for our email newsletter!

    • About EcoWatch
    • Contact EcoWatch
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Learn About Solar Energy
    Facebook 558k Twitter 222k Instagram 52k
    EcoWatch
    • About EcoWatch
    • Contact EcoWatch
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Learn About Solar Energy
    Facebook 558k Twitter 222k Instagram 52k
    Home Business

    Mars Tests New Paper Candy Bar Wrappers in UK

    By: Paige Bennett
    Published: May 30, 2023
    Facebook icon Twitter icon Pinterest icon Email icon
    Mars chocolate bars with their typical plastic wrapping
    Mars chocolate bars with their typical plastic wrapping. Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto via Getty Images
    Why you can trust us

    Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

    Facebook icon Twitter icon Pinterest icon Email icon

    Mars, Inc. is testing out new, paper wrappers for its candy bars in a trial run at Tesco grocery stores in the UK. The paper wrappers are temporarily replacing plastic wrappers, which are not recyclable. The company plans to use feedback from the trial as it works toward developing alternative packaging options for its candy bars and other products.

    For a limited time, consumers can find paper-wrapped Mars candy bars at 500 Tesco store locations around the UK as part of its Sustainable in a Generation Plan. According to Mars, though, it has been difficult to find paper-based wrapping for chocolate.

    More From EcoWatch
    • Sustainable Home Improvements You Can Make Now
    • How to Conserve Energy
    • What Are Solar Panels Made Of?

    “For Mars bar, the challenge was to find the right paper packaging solution with an adequate level of barrier properties to protect the chocolate whilst guaranteeing the food safety, quality and integrity of the product to prevent food waste,” said Richard Sutherland-Moore, packaging expert at Mars Wrigley UK, as reported by The Guardian.

    According to Ocean Conservancy, 2019 data showed that food wrappers from candy, chips and other snacks was the top item type collected from oceans, dethroning cigarette butts for the first time in decades.

    The new packaging is designed for easy, curbside recycling, so consumers will not have to send wrappers to specialized facilities to recycle them. Current wrappers are usually made from plastic or multiple types of materials that make them too difficult to recycle. 

    “When the target is recyclability, paper is 70-90% recycled — flexible plastics don’t stand a chance. Mars switching to paper is still another nail in the coffin for flexibles,” Paul Foulkes-Arellano, founder of Circuthon, told PackagingInsights.

    Mars is already working to transition to paper-based wrappers in Australia, where it started swapping the packaging in April this year for Mars, Milky Way and Snickers candy bars. By making the switch, the company said it expected to reduce plastics in its value chain by 360 metric tons. The company will begin rolling out these paper-wrapped candy bars in New Zealand starting June 2023. On its website, Mars noted the paper wrappers are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified.

    Mars isn’t the first candy company to look for more sustainable alternatives for its product packaging. Nestlé recently swapped foil- and plastic-based wrappers for most of its Quality Street candies to paper wrappers that are recyclable and switched to paper for Smarties’ wrappers in 2021. The company is also testing recyclable wrappers for KitKat bars in Australia.

    Subscribe to get exclusive updates in our daily newsletter!

      By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, and to receive electronic communications from EcoWatch Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content.

      Paige Bennett

      Based in Los Angeles, Paige is a writer who is passionate about sustainability. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Ohio University and holds a certificate in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. She also specialized in sustainable agriculture while pursuing her undergraduate degree.
      Facebook icon Twitter icon Pinterest icon Email icon

      Read More

      River Seine in Paris Reopens for Public Swimming for the First Time in 100 Years
      After more than a century, a ban on swimming in
      By Paige Bennett
      Threatened Heath Fritillary Butterflies See Major Population Increase in England
      There is new hope for one of the rarest butterflies
      By Paige Bennett
      Personal Care Products Like Shampoo Can Harm Aquatic Life: Study
      Shampoo, conditioner and sunscreens may be part of many people’s
      By Cristen Hemingway Jaynes

      Subscribe to get exclusive updates in our daily newsletter!

        By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, and to receive electronic communications from EcoWatch Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content.

        Latest Articles

        • ‘Poisoning the Well’ Authors Sharon Udasin and Rachel Frazin on PFAS Contamination and Why It ‘Has Not Received the Attention It Deserves’
          by Craig Thompson
          July 8, 2025
        • River Seine in Paris Reopens for Public Swimming for the First Time in 100 Years
          by Paige Bennett
          July 7, 2025
        • Facing Climate Anxiety With Visual Comedy: ‘World Without End’ Graphic Artist Christophe Blain
          by Craig Thompson
          July 5, 2025
        • Certain Gut Microbes Found to Absorb Ingested PFAS: Study
          by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
          July 3, 2025
        • Higher Levels of PFAS Found in Waterways Downstream From Wastewater Treatment Plants: Report
          by Paige Bennett
          July 3, 2025
        • UN Climate Expert Urges Criminalization of Fossil Fuel Disinformation to Protect Basic Human Rights
          by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
          July 2, 2025
        • EPA Employees Sign ‘Declaration of Dissent’ Over Trump Administration Policies
          by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
          July 1, 2025
        • Threatened Heath Fritillary Butterflies See Major Population Increase in England
          by Paige Bennett
          July 1, 2025
        EcoWatch

        The best of EcoWatch right in your inbox. Sign up for our email newsletter!

          • Climate Climate
          • Animals Animals
          • Health + Wellness Health + Wellness
          • Insights + Opinion Insights + Opinion
          • Adventure Adventure
          • Oceans Oceans
          • Business Business
          • Solar Solar
          • About EcoWatch
          • Contact EcoWatch
          • EcoWatch Reviews
          • Terms of Use
          • Privacy Policy
          • Learn About Solar Energy
          • Learn About Deregulated Energy
          • EcoWatch UK
          Follow Us
          Facebook 558k
          Twitter 222k
          Instagram 52k
          Subscribe Subscribe

          Experts for a healthier planet and life.

          Mentioned by:
          Learn more
          • Privacy Policy
          • Terms of Use
          • Cookie Preferences
          • Do Not Sell My Information
          © 2025 EcoWatch. All Rights Reserved.

          Advertiser Disclosure

          Our editorial team is committed to creating independent and objective content focused on helping our readers make informed decisions. To help support these efforts we receive compensation from companies that advertise with us.

          The compensation we receive from these companies may impact how and where products appear on this site. This compensation does not influence the recommendations or advice our editorial team provides within our content. We do not include all companies, products or offers that may be available.