Kind Snacks to test paper wrappers

Dive Brief:

• Kind Snacks is launching a paper wrapper for its best-selling Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt single bars this summer as owner Mars looks to increase the recyclability of its packaging.

• The packaging will be available at select Whole Foods stores across the Northeast, southern California and Texas regions from May 1 through Oct. 1.

• The snacks company wants to make all of its packaging recyclable by 2030. In addition to paper, Kind is testing other paper materials that have the potential to be recycled at scale

Dive Insight:

Consumers increasingly are voting with their pocketbooks when it comes to sustainability and other issues. Nearly 70% of consumers expect brands to take responsibility for packaging disposal, according to Global Eco Pulse data cited by Kind. 

Kind first transitioned to a single type of material in plastic in 2023. But existing U.S. infrastructure means that the mono-material plastic it is currently using is not widely recyclable in the U.S., the company said.

Infrastructure for recycled paper products, however, does exist, which is why Kind decided to test a fully recyclable paper wrapper.

The paper wrapper is not entirely new for Kind. It has been testing and making improvements to a recyclable paper wrapper since 2023, which it first launched on its website. The initial paper packaging, however, was not curbside recyclable, the company said.

“With this paper wrapper pilot, we’re excited to continue the brand’s legacy of leading the industry through projects and pilots grounded in science and with scalability in mind,” Lindsay Philpott, senior manager for sustainability communications with Kind, told Food Dive in an email.

Kind said its sustainability strategy emphasizes science-backed projects and pilot programs in sourcing and packaging.

During the last several years, other Big Food companies have also announced or rolled out new packaging innovations that aim to replace plastics with less environmentally harmful materials like paper or aluminum. 

These include Kraft Heinz’s removal of the “shaker” plastic bag from Shake ’N Bake products, Molson Coors’ introduction of cardboard wrap carriers to replace plastic 6-pack rings and Chobani’s move to some paper-based yogurt cups.

Much of Kind’s success has come through the prioritization of plant-based, nutrient-dense ingredients in its food. The paper wrapper removes the consumer’s ability to see the chocolate, nuts and other ingredients inside the transparent material; instead it features a picture on the packaging of what’s inside.