Berry Global Group, Inc. has teamed with snacks and treats leader Mars to convert its pantry jars for M&M’S®, SKITTLES®, and STARBURST® brands to 100% recyclable plastic packaging, except jar lids. This achievement enhances Berry and Mars’ continued collaboration to develop packaging with recycled content, after the debut of pantry jars with 15% recycled plastic in 2022. The modified jars are already being distributed around the country.
The pantry jars are widely recyclable and available in three sizes: 60, 81, and 87 ounces. This transition to 100% recycled plastic includes mechanically processed recycled content and will eliminate over 1,300 metric tonnes of virgin plastic per year—equivalent to the weight of around 238 African elephants.
The jars were composed of post-consumer resin, which is a packaging solution manufactured from recycled plastics gathered from consumers. This solution prevents plastic trash from ending up in landfills, minimises virgin plastic use, and lowers emissions while supporting a circular economy. For example, once these pantry jars are empty of sweets, a consumer can reattach the lid and leave it in a recycling bin; the plastic can then be used to create other products.
Berry’s production facility produces the easy-grip square jars with certified food-grade mechanically recycled resin from curbside collection streams. Berry teamed with Mars to develop a solution that would advance their joint sustainability goals while maintaining product quality.
“As companies across the globe commit to transitioning to a circular economy, the ability to deliver products made with recycled materials at scale is crucial,” said Peter Goshorn, Vice President of Food, Beverage & Spirits for Berry Global’s Consumer Packaging North America Division. “That’s why we’re collaborating with leading brands, like Mars, to significantly increase the use of recycled content to drive responsible business growth without compromising performance or aesthetics.”
As part of its Sustainable Packaging Plan, Mars is rethinking its packaging portfolio to eliminate plastic packaging and make it reusable, recyclable, or compostable. Mars has collaborated with Berry since 2017 to develop sustainable packaging.
“In the world we want tomorrow, no packaging becomes waste, but is instead reused, recycled or composted,” said Allison Lin, Global Vice President of Packaging Sustainability at Mars. “That’s why we continue to rethink our approach to packaging and collaborate with companies like Berry. Reducing our virgin plastic usage by investing in recycled content is an important step in our strategy, alongside initiatives to remove unnecessary packaging, explore reuse models and redesign our packaging for circularity. Using recycled content incentivizes increased collection systems and recycling infrastructure, which is essential for a circular economy.”
Mars is revamping 12,000 packaging components and pushing the boundaries of packaging innovation thanks to the collaborative efforts of hundreds of Mars Associates and partnerships with organisations such as Berry.
