Smarties packaging has changed from plastic to paper worldwide, according to the manufacturer Nestlé.
This move means that 250 million plastic packs produced each year are now made from paper.
Nestlé began the process by switching the Smarties sharing block to paper in the UK last year.
The new packaging is made from sustainably sourced fibre and is made of a coated paper, paper labels or carton board. It also contains recycling instructions on the packaging.
Nestlé Confectionary Product Technology Centre head Louise Barrett said: “Developing safe and convenient paper-based solutions for Smarties has required the pioneering of new materials and testing by Nestlé packaging experts at our R&D Centre for confectionery in York, UK and the Swiss-based Institute of Packaging Sciences.
“We adapted our existing manufacturing lines to allow for the careful handling that is required for paper, while also ensuring recyclability across all new formats.”
Nestlé said it has invested significantly to upgrade its factories globally, including in Hamburg, Germany, which is one of the company’s largest factories for confectionery products.
Watch the video below on how Nestlé made the switch to paper in its production process.
