Packaging
We are working in partnership with others to evolve our product packaging by finding more sustainable, circular solutions.
OUR COMMITMENT
Packaging waste is one of the biggest challenges facing the food and drink industry. At Ferrero, we believe no packaging should ever become waste, and we have taken the following commitments to address this:
- designing >90% of our packaging to be recyclable, reusable, or, compostable
- reducing the use of virgin plastic by 10% compared with a 2020 baseline
- boosting the uptake of recycled content in our plastic packaging to 12%
We have laid out a clear roadmap to meet our commitment, having completed a thorough mapping of packaging materials and policies.
Our Progress
Our ambition, and one of the most important challenges for packaging today, is to increase the circularity of our packaging without neglecting other relevant environmental impacts. As of the end of FY 2023/24, 92.1% of our packaging is designed to be recyclable, reusable or compostable, and 40.9% of our packaging materials are made from renewable sources. We have also reached 5.8% recycled content across our total plastic packaging and achieved a 13% reduction of plastic-to-product ratio, progressing toward our goals to increase the use of recycled content and to reduce the use of virgin plastic.
Closing the Gaps in Packaging Circularity
Guided by the aim that none of our packaging becomes waste, we collaborate with partners across the value chain in the following areas:
- ensuring the availability of new recycled material solutions on the market
- making sure consumers have clear instructions on how to dispose of their waste
- investing in R&D projects to upgrade current sorting and recycling technologies
We partner with: Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Consumer Goods Forum, Circular Plastics Alliance, Association of Plastics Recyclers, CEFLEX, RecyClass, 4evergreen, European Brands Association, Flexible Packaging Initiative, Holy Grail 2.0 project, Perfect Sorting Consortium, and The Recycling Partnership.
OUR COMMITMENT IN ACTION
40% Plastic Reduction
The Ferrero Rocher 24-piece box is among our most iconic gift boxes. Consumers worldwide appreciate the transparency of the box, showcasing the gold-wrapped pralines inside.
We have invested in equipment to run the lightweight packaging on our high-speed automated lines. This allowed us to achieve an average 40% plastic reduction compared to the previous polystyrene box. This will save more than 2,000 tonnes of plastic once the new box will be available globally. For every new 24-piece box, we save the same amount of carbon emission as switching off an LED bulb for 82 hours.
Kinder Joy’s new paper spoon
Since 2022 we replaced around 95% of plastic spoons in Kinder Joy eggs with high-quality paper spoons. The new paper spoon is made from high-quality virgin paper, which is sourced from sustainably certified supply chain and the new spoon is sealed to the plastic film using the ultra-sonic sealing technology, without using the substances and additives. Once the roll-out will be completed, the new paper spoon will deliver an estimated 45% reduction on our Kinder Joy spoon carbon footprint with a plastic reduction of over 1,300 tonnes per year vs. the current spoon.
Nutella joins forces with Loop and Carrefour
In 2020 Nutella has joined forces with Loop – the leading reuse platform – and Carrefour for a reuse pilot scheme in Paris, France. Through the new scheme, shoppers will be able to purchase a specially designed reusable Nutella jar from the 10 pilot stores and the Carrefour website for which they pay a deposit. Carrefour will then collect the empty jars for washing and reuse.
Ferrero’s in-house design team worked closely with Loop’s experts to develop the new pilot Nutella jar, the first of its kind, which meets all the needed criteria for reuse. The result of this collaboration is a specially designed jar, which is durable, safe, hygienic and features an optimised label and seal that can be easily removed during the wash cycle.
Packaging plays a vital role in protecting and preserving products for consumers.
