Mars Wrigley UK has today announced the removal of the black PE liner from Maltesers boxes, which will see 82 tonnes of plastic eliminated every single year.
The removal of polyethylene (PE) from all Maltesers boxes in the UK means that the box itself is now fully recyclable and, without using any additional paper pulp, around 930 tonnes of carboard per year can now be fully recycled in Britain.
The plastic film that covers the box, which is essential to protect the quality of the product within, isn’t currently widely recyclable.
“At Mars, we take our responsibility for sustainable packaging seriously, and today’s announcement that our iconic Maltesers box is now fully recyclable is another important step in our journey toward packaging that is 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable,” Adam Grant, General Manager Mars Wrigley UK, said.
The new Maltesers boxes will be widely available in store from this week. The box, as we now know it, was launched nearly 90-years ago in 1930 and today, Britons eat over 180 million Maltesers treats every year. Most of which are made at Mars Wrigley’s HQ in Slough.
