UK – American multinational manufacturer of confectionery and pet food, Mars has pledged to make its chocolate bars sold in the U.K., Ireland, and Canada certified as carbon neutral by January 1, 2023.
This move will make the Mars bar the first carbon-neutral chocolate bar from a top 5 confectionery company to appear on British, Irish, and Canadian shelves.
The new pledge supports the company’s recently announced climate action goal to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across its full value chain by 2050.
Mars aims to reduce its chocolate bar’s carbon footprint by over 20% by 2023 by enhancing its efforts to sustainably transform supply chain agricultural practices.
Some of the activities that the chocolate maker intends to focus on include using satellite data to map cocoa farms and enhancing partnerships with suppliers to produce dairy more sustainably.
Any emissions that cannot be eliminated will be offset by high-quality carbon removal credits based on climate solutions like reforestation and land restoration, the chocolate maker said.
Mars has also announced that Mars bars in the U.K. will be trialed in fully recyclable paper packaging starting next year.
Working closely with HRH The Prince of Wales, Sir Jony Ive and his creative team at LoveFrom, the company has created a physical and animated seal engineered with paper that is both simple and beautifully crafted.
The design combines a host of natural references, including oak leaves, fern, magnolia, and honey bees, and intricate patterns, both in nature and in the arts.
The world’s largest chocolate manufacturer said it will work with an independent auditor to certify the Mars bar as carbon neutral.
The company also revealed that it will be adhering to the PAS 2060 standard for carbon neutrality, which provides radical transparency and is widely considered to be the leading standard of carbon-neutral specification.
Galaxy Chocolate to be made in India
Earlier, the US confectioner announced that it has begun producing its popular Galaxy chocolate in India, bringing the price down to Rs 10, the lowest in the world.
“This Rs 10 pack is not only for tier-2 and 3 cities; it is for people who want to watch their lifestyles. They want a treat but want an under 70-calorie product. We want to be responsible; so people can control their portions,” Mars Wrigley India country general manager Kalpesh Parmar said.
Meanwhile, Mars Wrigley’s International Travel Retail division (MWITR) has revealed its post-Covid-19 confectionery category recovery strategy which aims to restore sales back to 2019 levels by the end of 2023.
As part of the company’s strategy to grow its sharing and gifting segment, MWITR plans to double down on core products, add value to the category and convert new travelers through new product development (NPD) innovations.
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