First it was a tin, then plastic, and now Quality Street, the Christmas brand, is launching a paper tub.
Maker Nestlé will trial the paper version across Tesco stores in England and Wales this week, with more than 200,000 on sale across selected stores.
Irish firm Smurfit Westrock, which specialises in packaging, created the new paper-based tub for Nestlé as part of the company’s ongoing initiative to reduce virgin plastic.
Sustainable Packaging
Saverio Mayer, CEO of Europe, MEA and APAC at Smurfit Westrock, said, “The innovative new tub we created in collaboration with Nestlé is an excellent example of how a paper-based replacement can bring a host of benefits across design, functionality, and, of course, sustainability.
“It will hopefully appeal to the growing number of consumers who are seeking more sustainable packaging for their favourite products.”
The introduction of the paper tub follows on from Nestlé switching to paper wrappers for the Quality Street sweets back in 2022, diverting over two billion wrappers from landfill.
Paper Tub Trial
Jemma Handley, senior brand manager for Quality Street, said, “A lot of care and hard work has gone into the trial, and we’re proud to be the first major manufacturer to trial a paper tub at Christmas.
“We know there are some Quality Street fans who, controversially, like to put their wrappers back in the tub once they’ve eaten [the sweets]. With the paper tub, they can put the paper wrappers back for a good reason – it can go straight into the recycling.”
Earlier this year, Nestlé UK & Ireland announced that it would use traceable cocoa ingredients in all its UK-made chocolate. Quality Street is now made using cocoa mass that has been specifically sourced from cocoa-farming families who are part of Nestlé’s Income Accelerator Programme.
