Mars bars given new look

Mars bars have been given a new look as the chocolate bar ditches its traditional plastic wrapper for more environmentally-friendly paper packaging.

Mars Incorporated confirmed it has made the switch to recyclable paper packaging for a limited time, with the bars available in Tesco stores during a pilot to explore different packaging options.

Once the pilot is over, Mars said it will use what it has learned to inform other trials.

As part of the company’s Sustainable in a Generation Plan, it is investing hundreds of millions of pounds to ensure it meets its goal of reducing use of virgin plastics by a third in the short-term, which includes using less plastic, recycled plastic and plastic alternatives.

The move also comes after the company achieved carbon neutrality for the first time in its history this year, achieved through carbon credits and carbon emission reductions.

Andrew Flood, Tesco packaging development manager, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Mars Wrigley to trial an alternative version of their iconic Mars bar packaging – aligning to our own strategy of removing plastic and packaging in our business where we can, reducing it where we can’t, reusing more and recycling what’s left.”