Nestlé trials recyclable paper packs for KitKat

Nestlé has introduced recyclable paper packaging for KitKat as a pilot test.

The new packaging, adapted and tested at Nestlé's Confectionery Research and Development Center in York, UK, will be available for a limited time in Australia.

Nestlé will produce more than a quarter of a million KitKat bars wrapped in paper in an exclusive partnership with Coles, a local retailer. The pack has a QR code which people can scan to have their say and give feedback on the new paper packaging.

“We are exploring different types of alternative packaging solutions for our confectionary products. For KitKat, the challenge was to find the right paper packaging solution with a high level of barrier properties to adequately protect the chocolate,” Louise Barrett, Head of the Nestlé Confectionery Product Technology Centre in York, said.

“We had to maintain the perfect balance between the iconic crispy wafer and smooth chocolate that people know and love, whilst at the same time ensuring the packaging is recyclable in the paper stream."

The paper packaging pilot for KitKat is part of Nestle's commitment to use innovation to meet its packaging commitments. Nestlé has set a goal to reduce the use of virgin plastics by a third by 2025, which includes using less plastic, recycled plastic, and alternatives to plastic packaging.

Other recent innovations are Smarties, which introduced recyclable paper packaging for all its confectionery products globally in 2021 and Quality Street, which introduced recyclable paper wrappers in 2022.