A couple of sweet treats are now available in reusable stainless steel containers in France.
KitKat and Lion chocolate balls are being sold in the industry-leading packaging on a six-month trial in Hauts-de-France, Packaging Europe reported. The containers are made by Circolution, with further input by recycling experts Bocoloco.
Customers pay a refundable €2 deposit when they buy the products through an app or online. After the goodies have been gobbled up, the packaging is collected from the consumer, sorted, cleaned, and refilled.
"Bocoloco will oversee the traceability of the containers in order to maximize any learnings from the trial," the outlet stated.
Nestlé, whose packaging in France is already 91% reusable or recyclable, is working toward 100% reusability or recyclability by the end of 2025, according to Packaging Europe.
Even in this environment, the plastic packaging recycling rate in the country (27% in 2019) was one of the lowest in the European Union. And though the plastic packaging recycling rate in the EU increased by 50% from 2009 to 2019, the amount of waste rose too because of a 24% increase in the generation of plastic packaging waste.
Clearly, the solution is to use less plastic. If you don't have the option to support sustainable brands, there are simple steps you can take at home to cut out plastic.
Le Fourgon, the French reusables startup, is also in on this project, which is receiving funding from a national competition to reduce the environmental impact of packaging. This program is working to change production and consumption methods via nonprofit Citeo, which manages the end life of packaging. Backers invested €35 million in the organization in 2023 and over €60 million barely five months into 2024.
"Innovate, explore and experiment; it is in this spirit that the KitKat and Lion brands are taking their first steps in the deposit system with Le Fourgon, supported by Citeo as part of the 'EncoRe plus de réemploi' initiative," Mathieu Tuau, director of packaging and sustainability at Nestlé France, said, per Packaging Europe.
🗣️ When you think about a product's packaging, which of these factors is more important to you?
🔘 The way it looks 😍
🔘 The information it provides 🧐
🔘 The waste it produces 🗑️
🔘 I don't think about packaging at all 🤷
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
"Through this six-month test, we want to assess consumer interest in this offer and try to provide a concrete solution to help reduce our impact on the environment."
Le Fourgon CEO and co-founder Charles Christory said, "This is expected by consumers, and it is a new positive market signal towards the end of single-use packaging in France."
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
