Kitkat Bar in Paper Packaging
Nestlé Australia is forging ahead with more sustainable confectionery packaging. Nestlé’s Kitkat bar is being sold in paper wrappers in Australian Coles stores on a trial basis.
Food company Nestlé is offering its Kitkat chocolate bar in a paper wrapper for the first time – but initially only in Australia. As part of an exclusive trial with Coles supermarkets in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory, consumers will be able to buy Kitkat bars in the paper wrapper for a limited time from the beginning of 2023. More than a quarter of a million Kitkat bars will be wrapped in the new paper packaging for the trial in select stores – enough to cover a distance of nearly 50 kilometers, Nestlé Australia says. Each bar has a QR code that Australians can scan to have their say about the new paper wrapper by answering a series of questions.
He said the new paper packaging is an attempt to innovate and explore all options to meet Nestlé’s goal of reducing the use of virgin plastic by one-third by 2025. Chris O’Donnell, General Manager for Confectionery and Snacks at Nestlé Oceania, says, “we are proud to be the first country in the world to test Kitkat in a paper package, taking an important step towards reducing the use of virgin plastic. With all packaging innovations, our priority is to ensure we deliver the same delicious Kitkat with creamy chocolate and crispy wafers.”
Packaging of Smarties already switched to paper
Leanne White, General Manager of Grocery at Coles, says, “coles is thrilled to be working with Nestlé on this important trial, which will give customers the opportunity to have their say about new packaging options and help the company lead the way in innovative solutions.”
In order to move closer to the sustainability goals it has set itself for 2025, Nestlé already took a major step worldwide about two years ago: the packaging concept for the Smarties brand was converted to paper internationally. A total of 10 million euros was invested in the conversion at the Hamburg site alone.
