Multinational food company Mars has switched its chocolate bars from plastic wrappers to recyclable paper packaging in the UK.

The move is part of a new trial and the chocolate bars in paper wrappers will be rolled out at 500 Tesco stores in the UK starting 29 May 2023, BBC reported.

Mars is exploring and testing different types of environmentally friendly materials for Mars Food’s chocolate bars.

Recently, Mars Bar Products achieved carbon-neutral certification.

The company plans to leverage the knowledge it gains from the pilot to inform other trials, the Scotsman reported.

Mars Wrigley UK general manager Adam Grant was quoted by the publication as saying: “With our Mars bar pilot project, we are taking a big step to see how paper-based packaging works in everyday life. From the test, we will derive insights for our sustainable packaging strategy.

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“While challenges may impact the pace of progress towards our vision, we at Mars Incorporated are committed to scaling up viable solutions where recycling options exist, and to test, learn, partner and advocate where they don’t.”

Mars announced the pilot after it revealed plans to switch to sustainable packaging for its chocolate bars in Australia and New Zealand in November last year.

Earlier this year, the Chinese branch of confectionery company Mars Wrigley launched its first package made entirely from post-consumer recycled PET (rPET).

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