Berry Global and Mars have announced the switch of Mars’ pantry jars for M&M’S®, SKITTLES®, and STARBURST® brands to 100% recycled plastic, excluding the jar lids. This update follows a 2022 launch of jars made with 15% recycled plastic, marking a significant step in their ongoing sustainability collaboration. The new jars, available in 60-, 81-, and 87-ounce sizes, are designed to be widely recyclable and will help eliminate over 1,300 metric tons of virgin plastic annually, equivalent to the weight of approximately 238 African elephants.
The jars are made using post-consumer recycled resin, a packaging material sourced from plastics collected from consumers. This move is aimed at reducing plastic waste, cutting down the use of virgin plastic, and supporting a circular economy. Once emptied, consumers can place the jars in recycling bins, where the material can be reused to create new products.
Peter Goshorn, Vice President of Food, Beverage & Spirits for Berry Global’s Consumer Packaging North America Division, emphasized the importance of this development: “The ability to deliver products made with recycled materials at scale is crucial…we’re collaborating with leading brands, like Mars, to significantly increase the use of recycled content to drive responsible business growth without compromising performance or aesthetics.”
Mars, as part of its Sustainable Packaging Plan, has been working to reduce plastic packaging and redesign its packaging to ensure it is reusable, recyclable, or compostable. “Using recycled content incentivizes increased collection systems and recycling infrastructure, which is essential for a circular economy,” said Allison Lin, Global Vice President of Packaging Sustainability at Mars.
The partnership between Berry and Mars highlights the ongoing efforts by both companies to advance sustainable packaging solutions, with Mars currently redesigning 12,000 packaging components.