Mars Wrigley UK has launched a trial in Tesco stores across the country to pilot an eco-friendly promotional display made partly from cocoa bean shells – a world-first for the confectionery category. The displays were developed together with sustainability partners Medoola, ECOR, and display production company, DS Smith.
Adam Grant, the general manager at Mars Wrigley UK, explained:
At Mars Wrigley, we’re on a mission to future-proof the growing confectionery category. While we’ve typically been focused on sustainable innovation from bean to the bar, we’re now looking further to explore new routes beyond our direct supply chain.
The innovative new material, dubbed ‘Bean Board,’ is made from 30% waste cocoa bean shells and 70% recycled paper. Compared to a similar corrugated fiberboard display, classically used across the global retail industry, this new design involves 93% less land to produce. And to top it off, no virgin tree fibers are used to manufacture the new material.
Grant added:
The new ‘Bean Board’ material is a prime example of how FMCG manufacturers can look beyond their production line to help create the world we want tomorrow, and we’re looking forward to seeing how the trial goes to the wider industry can also benefit from using the new material.
Cacao bean shells are separated from the bean during the roasting process and would otherwise be thrown away. However, we have seen some exciting ways companies use this waste to create more sustainable products in recent years. For example, last year, London-based design firm PriestmanGoode developed an attractive alternative for single-use fast-food boxes and bags made entirely from pineapple husk, mycelium, and cocoa bean shells.
