Balisto in Paper Wrapping

Mars Wrigley is testing paper-based packaging for chocolate bars in German retail for the first time, together with Edeka Minden-Hannover. The project is intended to show how the material proves itself in practice, for example in confection, transport and on the shelf.

Mars Wrigley is offering a chocolate bar in paper-based packaging for the first time and together with its retail partner Edeka Minden-Hannover. For around 100,000 of the 9-pack Balisto honey-almond multipacks, the packaging of both the individual bar and the outer carton are made of more than 90 percent paper. The sustainable multipacks have been available in more than 500 Edeka stores in the region since February 2021.

As Mars Wrigley points out, the Balisto pilot is just one of many projects that will be launched globally across all Mars businesses in 2021. The company’s goal is to make all packaging reusable, recyclable and compostable by 2025, and to reduce new plastic consumption by 25 percent.

Barrier coating prevents grease penetration

Developed for Mars from specialty paper, the packaging is made from more than 90 percent natural fibers and is FSC- and PEFC-certified. A thin barrier coating protects the chocolate and prevents it from greasing through to the outside. “This is the first time we are offering a chocolate cookie bar in paper. We are pleased to implement this important step for us in our global packaging strategy here in the German market,” according to Laurence Etienne, Managing Director Mars Wrigley Germany.

The project is designed to show how the paper material performs in practice, for example during packaging in the Viersen factory, during transport and on the shelf. Another crucial factor for success is how customers accept the sustainable packaging. All the insights gained will then be incorporated into the future design of the packaging for the Mars chocolate bar portfolio.