Nestlé International Travel Retail (NITR) has introduced travel retail-exclusive paper sharing packs for its Quality Street line.
This follows the launch of recyclable FSC-certified paper packaging for Quality Street’s twist-wrapped sweets in October 2022.
The 750gm sharing packs, clearly marked ‘I am paper’, launched in January.
NITR General Manager Stewart Dryburgh said: “This is big news, not just for Nestlé and Quality Street but for the confectionery category in general.
“It underlines NITR’s strong focus on sustainability and its commitment to reducing the use of virgin plastic, boosting recycling and supporting a circular economy.
“It is also a clear indication of our determination to meet the needs and demands of the increasing number of travelling consumers who are looking to purchase sustainable products.
“When Quality Street opted to move from dual foil and cellulose to recyclable paper packaging for its twist-wrapped sweets, it meant the removal of more than 2 billion pieces of packaging material from the brand’s supply chain worldwide.
“At NITR we are convinced that this is the only way forward. And to have this pack as a travel retail-exclusive line is indicative of the importance that Nestlé as a company attaches to the channel.”
One green step at a time
Quality Street, established in 1936 in Halifax, UK, has been working to improve the sustainability of its operations and supply chain for over a decade.
According to NITR it has been “a history-making brand from the start, using the world’s first twist-wrapping machine to revolutionise the way chocolates were manufactured and sold”.
In its Halifax factory there is zero waste to landfill and the brand has used only certified sustainably sourced cocoa since 2015.
Quality Street chocolate is made with milk sourced from Scottish farms that have been part of a sustainable farming partnership with Nestlé since 2003.
“It’s a commendable story,” added Dryburgh. “Quality Street has always lived up to its name and is a steadfast brand within the NITR portfolio.”
Quality Street was the second Nestlé confectionery brand to introduce paper, following Smarties, which rolled out recyclable paper packaging for all its confectionery products globally in 2021.
Both brands are supporting Nestlé’s aim to have 95% of its packaging designed for recycling by 2025, and its commitment to achieving 100%.
‘Together We Grow’
Quality Street products are a key feature of NITR’s travel retail-exclusive ‘Together We Grow’ platform, which aims to help retail partners accelerate sustainable programmes.
The concept falls under the Regeneration pillar of NITR’s VERSE model (Value, Engagement, Regeneration, Sense of Place and Execution) which, like the new chocolate line, is exclusive to travel retail.
‘Together We Grow’ also communicates the environmental impact NITR has made through packaging projects such as the Cocoa Plan and Coffee Plan responsible sourcing initiatives over the last 15 years.
The Nestlé Cocoa Plan was launched in 2009 and has engaged more than 150,000 cocoa-farming families so far, building on three pillars: better farming, aiming to improve livelihoods in communities; better lives, aiming to improve social conditions for families; and better cocoa, aiming to improve product sustainability.
Quality Street collaborates with the Rainforest Alliance to make a positive impact beyond certification of cocoa beans. The non-profit organisation works on combating deforestation and addressing climate change while also creating economic opportunities for rural communities.
The brand has also partnered with other organisations on its journey to make cocoa more sustainable. These include International Cocoa Initiative, Fair Labor Association, KIT Royal Tropical Institute, Earthworm and Jacobs Foundation. ✈
