US confectionery giant Mars has partnered with ‘upcycle’ firm TerraCycle to repurpose the company’s waste packaging into products.
Go deeper with GlobalData
TerraCycle will produce “affordable, high-quality” consumer goods by repurposing surplus and used packaging from more than 20 Mars brands, including Twix, Starburst, Uncle Ben’s and Seeds of Change.
The firm will produce products ranging from cell phone holders and laptop sleeves to messenger bags, in a bid to significantly reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills.
Mars will also sponsor TerraCycle ‘Brigade programmes,’ in which organisations can raise money by collecting used packaging from participating brands and sending it to TerraCycle.
Mars said it has committed to reducing its waste by 3% a year.
“We at Mars take very seriously our responsibility to uphold our efficiency principle and cut waste,” said Richard Ware, vice president of supply chain, R&D and sustainability at Mars. “This partnership with TerraCycle demonstrates Mars ongoing commitment to making a difference by reducing the impact of our manufacturing plants on the planet each year.”
TerraCycle distributes its products across the US and plans to expand into Mexico, Brazil, Canada and the UK over the coming year. Its products are available in retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target and Petco.
