KitKat paper wrapping means 380 tons less plastic per year
Nestlé Japan has switched the wrapping of their popular chocolate candy “KitKat” from plastic to paper from Aug. 1st. With the move, the company has become the first confectionery maker in the country to “de-plastic” its main product.
The company has changed the packaging of five “KitKat Mini” line of products sold in large bags. These five KitKat products comprise about 30% of the company’s domestic shipments. The company estimates the change will reduce its use of plastic by about 380 tons per year.
Kozo Takaoka, the president of Nestlé Japan said, “As the biggest problem is that the plastic can flow into the sea where the fish eat it, and then, down the food chain, it can affect humans. The paper wrapping does not solve the problem 100%, but it’s the best way for now.”
By 2022, Nestlé Japan plans to change all KitKat packaging, including small bags, to materials that can be recycled and reused. The company started shipments of the paper packaged KitKat products late September and, by now, customers can buy paper-wrapped KitKat in stores. An additional plus, a Nestlé Japan spokesman points out, is that “The paper wrapping can be used for making origami. So, while enjoying delicious sweets, people can try their hand at origami afterward and, at the same time, reduce plastic trash.”