Nestlé International Travel Retail (ITR) has selected Smarties as the first global children’s confectionery brand to incorporate no single-use plastic packaging.

The move is part of Nestlé’s ambition to make 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025.

According to the company, the travel retail exclusive Smarties Music Creator is the first product to meet the new guidelines. All single-use plastic packaging has been replaced by a recyclable carton box.

The colourful, durable flute within (intended for use multiple times) is plastic. To increase its lifespan, the product has been supported by online, digital content (via the https://www.nestletravelretail.com/smarties/learn-through-play website) since May 2020, as well as the included learn-to-play guide and music sheet.

Together, these elements help children learn to read and play music and provide step-by-step guides to playing simple songs.

EARLY RELEASE

Aligned with NITR’s Learn Through Play framework, the Smarties Music Creator, which comes with 1 x38g tube of Smarties, first appeared in 2019. Proving extremely popular, Nestlé ITR accelerated the removal of single-use plastics for the product. Over the course of seven months, Nestlé ITR worked with internal and external members to ensure the improved product was ready for release much sooner than intended.

The original, plastic packaging used on the first iteration of the product is no longer being produced and no longer available.

While paper packaging tends to be more expensive to produce than plastic, Nestlé ITR has endeavoured to keep any price increase as low as possible. The company is also devising a clever outer, secondary container that can be used to transport the flute.

As well as the musical instrument, the learn-to-play guide and new online content that can be accessed for free on the NITR website.

Nestlé ITR General Manager Stewart Dryburgh, a panelist at the inaugural TRBusiness TRConnect webinar said: “Clearly, these are unprecedented times and the Covid-19 crisis will impact the immediate roll-out for the new Smarties Music Creator. In the mid-long term, however, the demand for recyclable and eco-friendly solutions will only increase and with Smarties we will be ready with these solutions.

“Sales for the first version of  the Smarties Music Creator were incredibly positive. We have every reason to believe that this more sustainable version will be an even greater success.”

He concluded: “In 2019, Smarties set the ambitious target of being the first global children’s confectionery brand to remove single use plastics. We look forward to continuing this journey in 2021 and the years to come.”