Mars recyclable packaging trial

MSE_Laura_F

Mars is trialling paper wrappers instead of plastic. You'll be able to buy a paper-wrapped bar in one of 500 Tesco stores.

In the lead up to last Christmas, Quality Street made some of its individual chocolate wrapping more recyclable. Then there's Smarties, which already uses recyclable tubes.

I'd like to know:

• Will you be trying out the new Mars paper wrappers if you see one?
• Have you seen any good examples of recyclable packaging lately, or any fails?

alinkliter

I wont be trying the new wrappers because Mars bars are far too expensive and small. It can no longer be said that a Mars a day, helps you work, rest and play. About half the size they used to be.

MikeJXE

No I won’t be trying the paper wrappers or the overpriced mars bar 

arnoldy

Recently brought one of those spice packet mixes proudly proclaiming paper "recyclable". Turns out its paper...but with a plastic film coat so cant be added to compost. "Meal deals" are the worst - after 20 years of Supermarkets moving at pace to reduce plastic here is what you get: Sandwich (PLASTIC peering window), fruit (in PLASTIC pot sealed with PLASTIC film), Crisps (PLASTIC wrapper), Orange Juice (PLASTIC coated carton, with PLASTIC straw which in itself is wrapped in PLASTIC film before being stuck onto the carton). 

mebu60

Aldi have switched their foil lined plastic bags for various nuts to paper bags which make the nuts go soft before you've finished the packet. Will have to buy sealable (plastic) containers. But a huge fail on Aldi's part has been switching their porridge from paper bags into plastic bags! 

And don't get me started on the sea of plastic in the sauce / ketchup / mayonnaise and soft drink aisles where glass could be used.

pumpkin89

arnoldy said:

Recently brought one of those spice packet mixes proudly proclaiming paper "recyclable". Turns out its paper...but with a plastic film coat so cant be added to compost. "Meal deals" are the worst - after 20 years of Supermarkets moving at pace to reduce plastic here is what you get: Sandwich (PLASTIC peering window), fruit (in PLASTIC pot sealed with PLASTIC film), Crisps (PLASTIC wrapper), Orange Juice (PLASTIC coated carton, with PLASTIC straw which in itself is wrapped in PLASTIC film before being stuck onto the carton). 

I'm not sure what compost has to do with recycling.  Thick cardboard, aluminium and glass are also easily recyclable but bad for composting.

All that plastic packaging from the meal deal is now recyclable, which is a huge step forward from 20 years ago.  The reality is that plastic protects food from bacteria, external moisture etc. in a way which few other materials can match.

mebu60 said:

And don't get me started on the sea of plastic in the sauce / ketchup / mayonnaise and soft drink aisles where glass could be used.

Most food-grade plastic which can be recycled ~7 times whereas glass is infinitely recyclable, but it uses a huge amount of energy to do so (far more than producing virgin plastic) so there is a choice between reducing waste and increasing carbon emissions, or producing waste but decreasing carbon emissions.  Anyone who lives near a pub will be aware that improperly discarded glass can be worse than plastic.