The efficient use of limited resources is key to the future of a low-carbon, green economy. The 14th Five-year Plan for the Development of Circular Economy issued by the National Development and Reform Commission of China in 2021 advocated the development of a circular economy and increased resource recycling efficiency. At the same time, public acceptance of resource recycling is also at an all-time high. According to the 2022 Report on Chinese Consumers’ Recognition of rPET, issued by the China Food Information Center, 82 percent of respondents accepted the replacement of traditional plastics with rPET (recycled PET).

At Mars, we want to contribute to a circular economy where packaging material never becomes waste. Mars Wrigley China has taken a series of actions since 2019 to reimagine and redesign its packaging, making it reusable, recyclable or compostable through innovation and advocacy. In 2023, Mars Wrigley China will make further progress in sustainable packaging innovation. We have launched our first package containing rPET in the Chinese market via a local chocolate brand, Cui Xiang Mi (CXM). The 216g canister lid of CXM is made from 100 percent rPET. It demonstrates a new chapter in the recycled content application for Mars Wrigley China’s package portfolio.

Exploring new solutions via recycled content application

Recycled content application is essential to improving the closed-loop for a circular economy. However, the high-value application of recycled materials is still challenging due to an immature industry value chain and high cost. Take rPET as an example. According to the data published by the Plastic Recycling Branch of the China Synthetic Resin Association, China, a major PET producer and supplier to the world, recycled 5.68 million tons of PET scrap in 2020. But most of this was downgraded to rPET fibers used in textiles. They would normally be land-filled or incinerated at the end of their lifecycle. The circular economy advocates closed-loop recycling of resources to extend their life cycle and reduce natural resource exploitation.

This year, Mars Wrigley China achieved a breakthrough for recycled content application on chocolate core SKUs. The new 216g canister lid of CXM adopted 100% Post-Consumer Recycled PET with no change to the consumer experience due to appearance or tactile aspects. We want to inspire consumers with our tasty products and more green and sustainable moments. Compared to virgin PET, rPET contributes lower carbon emissions and less petroleum consumption. We estimate that the launch of the new CXM rPET canister lid could save 36 tons of virgin plastic in a rolling year^[1].

The circular economy is a complex system. The recycling value chain breaks easily without a sound infrastructure and cannot form a closed loop. Mars Wrigley China believes advocacy can contribute to circular economy development. In 2022, Mars China and other industry leaders and national associations kicked off China’s first industry-wide flexible collection pilot – Flexible Plastics Reborn – to build a full-chain and closed-loop recycling system in China for flexible packs. The program aims to collect 50000 tons of flexible packaging waste by the end of 2025. Mars Wrigley expects this program to uplift recyclability for flexible packs, providing more resources and energy savings.

Next step: this kind of rPET lid will be adopted by more brands over the rest of this year, such as SNICKERS and M&M’S. Mars Wrigley China aims to save 300 tons^[2] of virgin plastics in a rolling year.

Delivering commitments with diverse solutions

Tomorrow Starts Today. From today, Mars Wrigley China is committed to creating a healthier planet tomorrow for the next generation. In the past three years, it has released a range of diverse, sustainable packaging solutions.

Since 2019, Dove and Extra’s package weight-lightening projects have saved more than 1,000 tons of virgin plastics, equivalent to 60 million plastic package reduction that could stretch over 4,000 kilometers when connected. Moreover, Mars Wrigley China has explored the new sustainable materials application. In 2022, Mars Wrigley China released its first compostable paper package for M&M’S. Under industrial composting conditions, this package can be composted by more than 90 percent in six months into harmless water and carbon dioxide.

Mars Wrigley China has also developed new business models based on sustainability purposes. In 2021, M&M’s launched a reusable tin, providing a DIY purchasing consumer experience and encouraging consumer repurchase of M&M’s with this reusable package. This new business model and new pack have been welcomed by consumers and have generated 7.1 tons^[3] of virgin plastic saving per year.

To contribute to Mars Sustainable in a Generation Plan, Mars Wrigley China will continue our efforts on packaging sustainability today to build a circular economy where packaging never becomes waste.

[1] Source: Internal data, subject to fluctuation.

[2] Source: Internal data, subject to fluctuation.

[3] Source: Internal data, subject to fluctuation.