Nestlé International Travel Retail (NITR) has announced that its popular Quality Street brand is launching its new paper sharing packs exclusively in global travel retail.

The move makes travel retail the first and only market to offer the colourfully-wrapped confectionery with paper used for both the outer packaging and the individual chocolates.

The eye-catching 750g packs, which launched in January, are clearly signposted for travelling consumers, with the phrase ‘I am paper’ featured on the front.

It follows the introduction of recyclable FSC-certified paper packaging for its twist-wrapped sweets in October 2022.

“This is big news, not just for Nestlé and Quality Street but for the confectionery category in general,” said NITR General Manager Stewart Dryburgh.

“It underlines NITR’s strong focus on sustainability and its commitment to reducing the use of virgin plastic, boosting recycling and supporting a circular economy.

“It is also a clear indication of our determination to meet the needs and demands of the increasing number of travelling consumers who are looking to purchase sustainable products.

“When Quality Street opted to move from dual foil and cellulose to recyclable paper packaging for its twist-wrapped sweets, it meant the removal of more than 2 billion pieces of packaging material from the brand’s supply chain worldwide.

“At NITR we are convinced that this is the only way forward. And to have this pack as a travel retail-exclusive line is indicative of the importance that Nestlé as a company attaches to the channel.”

Quality Street has a storied history of packaging innovation. The brand launched in 1936 in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and the chocolates are still produced there to this day.

The brand made headlines from the get-go by introducing the world’s first twist-wrapping machine, which was considered a major advancement in the way chocolates were manufactured and sold.

Quality Street has been working to improve the sustainability of its operations and supply chain for over a decade.

The Halifax factory adheres to a zero waste to landfill ethos.

Furthermore, Quality Street has used only certified sustainably sourced cocoa since 2015, and Quality Street chocolate is made from milk sourced from farms in Scotland that have been part of a sustainable farming partnership with Nestlé since 2003.

“It’s a commendable story,” said Dryburgh. “Quality Street has always lived up to its name and is a steadfast brand within the NITR portfolio.”

Quality Street was the second Nestlé confectionery brand to introduce paper, following Smarties, which rolled out recyclable paper packaging for all its confectionery products globally in 2021.

Both brands are expected to significantly impact Nestlé’s aim to have 95% of its packaging designed for recycling by 2025 and its commitment to ultimately achieving 100%.

Quality Street products will be a strong feature of NITR’s new channel exclusive ‘Together We Grow’ platform, which aims to help its retailer partners accelerate sustainable programmes.

This is in parallel to communicating the already significant environmental impact NITR has made through its packaging projects, the Cocoa Plan and Coffee Plan responsible sourcing initiatives over the last 15 years.

READ MORE: Nestlé ITR returns as Gold Sponsor of consumer-centric TR Consumer Forum

READ MORE: Nestlé introduces KitKat using cocoa from its Income Accelerator Program

READ MORE: Nestlé unveils new TREX ‘Together We Grow’ sustainability platform