Package of the Month
Kind Launches Fully Recyclable Paper Wrapper
The brand continues to make progress toward its 2030 recyclability goals.
Mars’ Kind Snacks brand, purveyor of nourishing snacks, has introduced its first curbside recyclable paper wrapper pilot in the U.S. This innovation marks a significant step in achieving a recycle-ready wrapper for the bars category, while the brand continues to make progress towards its goal of ensuring all packaging is designed for recyclability by 2030, it says. Made with pulpable paper, Kind’s pilot will be leveraging a curbside recyclable, How2Recycle pre-qualified paper type. The packaging material will help make it possible for consumers to recycle.
The Kind paper wrapper is available exclusively at select Whole Foods Market stores across Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Texas, southern California, and select stores in Louisiana, Arizona, and Nevada, through October 1, while supplies last, for Kind’s best-selling Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt single bars.
The snack brand’s second paper wrapper pilot is available at select Whole Foods Market stores across the U.S.
“Our collaboration with KIND represents a true paradigm shift in sustainable packaging,” says Whole Foods Market Principal Packaging Advisor Sandra Lewis. “Through their innovative development of this recyclable paper wrapper, they're fundamentally reimagining how snack foods can be packaged. Working together to bring this solution to our shelves represents a significant milestone in our mission to reduce single-use plastics.”
This innovation builds upon Kind's first pilot of a paper-based wrapper in 2023, which was an eCommerce trial available exclusively on kindsnacks.com. This initial pilot was instrumental to Kind’s progress and gave the brand a robust foundation of consumer feedback and performance insights, like strong preliminary shelf life, transit, and machinability data. After spending the last year in R&D to integrate learnings, Kind and its partners are excited to bring to market this improved, fully recyclable wrapper available in stores, they say.
Courtesy of Kind
Bubbies Ice Cream launches home-compostable packaging
Bubbies Ice Cream, a top mochi ice cream brand in the natural channel, is taking a major step forward in its sustainability journey with the rollout of its new certified home-compostable packaging. The brand is replacing its internal clamshell packaging with new paper pulp trays. This simple yet impactful packaging switch significantly reduces the brand’s plastic waste and will eliminate approximately 310 tons of plastic from entering landfills each year, as part of the brand's mission to keep paradise clean.
Bubbies partnered with Earthcycle to develop these exclusive, certified home-compostable inner trays, which meet the growing consumer demand for environmentally-friendly solutions. According to Diversitech Global, 75% of shoppers consider sustainability important when making purchasing decisions.
The new paper pulp trays are biodegradable in home composting environments within six months, offering a seamless way for consumers to reduce their ecological footprint.
“Since day one, Bubbies has been committed to sharing its ice cream creations in an ethical and environmentally conscious way that benefits both our customers and the planet,” said Katie Cline, Vice President of Marketing at Bubbies Ice Cream. “Now that our transition from plastic to paper pulp trays is complete, we encourage consumers to join the movement by composting their trays at home and making mindful choices that contribute to a cleaner, greener future.”
Bubbies’ new paper pulp trays are now available at select Whole Foods Markets, Publix Super Markets, Sprouts Farmers Markets, Safeway, H-E-B, Gelson’s Market locations, online via the brand’s website, and many other retailers across the country. For more information on where to find Bubbies Ice Cream and its sustainability initiatives, please visit the brand’s website.
Courtesy of Bubbies Ice Cream
SÜDPACK develops recyclable mono-material solutions for coffee products
SÜDPACK has developed recyclable mono-material solutions for packaging coffee beans and ground coffee – offering an alternative to conventional PET/aluminum/PE composites. With professional life cycle assessment services and sustainable package printing, this family-owned company now offers a complete solution for coffee roasters.
The high-performance films, made from polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE), are part of the Pure-Line product family and are true all-rounders. Whether processed into flowpacks, stand-up pouches, or vacuum pouches, they meet the complex requirements that coffee roasters expect from a bespoke packaging concept: maximum protection, excellent processability, and, thanks to the “Made for Recycling” certification, a positive contribution to sustainability.
With their customized barrier properties and high opacity, SÜDPACK’s packaging solutions reliably protect premium coffee products — and their prized aromas — against UV radiation, oxygen, and water vapor.
Thanks to SÜDPACK’s extensive expertise in coextrusion technology and raw materials, these solutions also meet the high expectations of this demanding customer group in terms of processing performance and packaging reliability. SÜDPACK’s mono-material solutions ensure stable and efficient performance on standard packaging machines, so no loss of performance is expected when switching from conventional laminates.
When developing its sustainable coffee packaging, SÜDPACK placed special emphasis on material efficiency and recyclability to offer a future-ready packaging concept that meets the requirements of the upcoming PPWR. The family-owned company — a member of the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi) and holder of the rare Platinum status from EcoVadis — ranks among Germany’s most sustainable and innovative mid-sized enterprises. It is also a key driver of a functional circular economy in the films and packaging industry.
