Mars Wrigley and Danimer Scientific Help Environmentally Conscious Consumers to Compost at Home by Developing Biodegradable Packaging from Natural Ingredients
Mars Wrigley and Danimer Scientific have announced a two-year partnership to develop home compostable packaging aimed at creating a more sustainable planet. This collaboration will introduce Nodax® PHA, a biodegradable material derived from plant oils, starting with SKITTLES® in the U.S. The initiative aligns with Mars Wrigley's Sustainable in a Generation plan, aiming for 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging by 2025. The goal is to address the plastic waste crisis with innovative, environmentally friendly packaging solutions.
- Collaboration with Danimer Scientific enhances Mars Wrigley's sustainability efforts.
- Introduction of Nodax® PHA provides a biodegradable alternative to traditional plastics.
- Mars Wrigley's goal of 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging by 2025 is reinforced.
- None.
CHICAGO and BAINBRIDGE, Ga., March 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Mars Wrigley, the maker of some of the world's most beloved treats and snacks, and Danimer Scientific (NYSE: DNMR), a leading developer and manufacturer of biodegradable materials, today announced a two-year partnership to develop an innovative home compostable packaging for a more sustainable planet.
Mars Wrigley will leverage the company's global portfolio of iconic treats and snacks to enable consumers to compost at home, working together with consumers and supply-chain partners to support a healthy planet. The first brand Mars Wrigley will introduce will be SKITTLES® in the U.S., enabling consumers to enjoy delicious, fun and environmentally friendly treats.
Danimer Scientific's signature packaging - Nodax® polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) – is produced through natural fermentation processes using plant oils such as soy and canola and biodegrades in both soil and marine environments. Mars will continue to evaluate opportunities to scale this novel, innovative and sustainable packaging technology across its portfolio of brands and categories.
Danimer Scientific and Mars Wrigley plan to introduce Nodax®PHA into flexible and rigid packaging that reliably breaks down in both industrial composting facilities and backyard compost units, offering an enhanced value proposition for environmentally conscious consumers and retailers. Sourced from the seeds of plants such as canola and soy, Nodax®PHA can serve as an alternative to traditional petrochemical plastic and has been certified as biodegradable in soil and marine environments. In addition to better end-of-life options, Nodax®PHA is renewably sourced, making it a truly circular material that helps eliminate waste.
Mars Wrigley's Purpose is around better moments and more smiles, including a connected and caring world. This includes a connected supply chain that cares for our planet and supports Mars' Sustainable in a Generation plan. The joint development agreement is a key component of Mars Wrigley's comprehensive strategy to transform its packaging portfolio to support a circular economy and to drive progress against its goal of 100 percent reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025.
For Mars Wrigley, collaborating with Danimer Scientific represents a step change for its packaging sustainability strategy and brings the business closer to its vision for a circular economy where no packaging becomes waste. As part of Mars, Incorporated's
The aim of this collaboration is new, biodegradable packaging for various Mars Wrigley brands, starting with smaller and single packs that are more likely to be littered and typically less likely to be recycled. Mars Wrigley is leaning into this problem by creating new-to-world packs for a wide range of formats that can significantly support a sustainable planet. Initial development work with kick off in North America with the goal of reaching additional markets with underdeveloped recycling infrastructures where littering and leakage into nature are especially problematic. Mars Wrigley's first on-the-shelf offerings are tentatively targeted for late 2021 or early 2022, featuring their SKITTLES brand in the U.S.
"The impact of plastic on nature is one of the major sustainability challenges of our generation. There are no simple solutions and transformational innovation is necessary, we have to think and act differently," said Alastair Child, Mars Wrigley VP of Global Sustainability. "Collaborating with Danimer to advance this breakthrough technology represents a major step to creating positive societal impact and better environmental outcomes across the full lifecycle of small, flexible packaging."
"Expectations for sustainable packaging vary from market to market, making it essential for new materials to be adaptable in meeting different standards without sacrificing quality," said Stephen Croskrey, CEO at Danimer Scientific. "PHA provides a versatile platform for manufacturing material that is renewably sourced and leaves a minimal impact on the environment upon disposal. We look forward to working with Mars Wrigley in fighting the global crisis of plastic waste."
For further information on Mars' approach to sustainable packaging, visit https://www.mars.com/sustainability-plan/healthy-planet/sustainable-packaging.
Danimer Scientific's Nodax®PHA possesses six TUV AUSTRIA certifications of industrial and home compostability, is biodegradable in soil, fresh water and marine environments and is
Media Contacts:
Mars Wrigley
Caitlin Kemper
Tel: +1 - 201-841-8350
Caitlin.kemper@effem.com
Danimer Scientific
Anthony Popiel
Dalton Agency
Tel: +1 (404) 876-1309
apopiel@daltonagency.com
About Mars, Incorporated
For more than a century, Mars, Incorporated has been driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. This idea is at the center of who we have always been as a global, family-owned business. Today, Mars is transforming, innovating, and evolving in ways that affirm our commitment to making a positive impact on the world around us.
Across our diverse and expanding portfolio of confectionery, food, and petcare products and services, we employ 133,000 dedicated Associates who are all moving in the same direction: forward. With
We know we can only be truly successful if our partners and the communities in which we operate prosper as well. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire our Associates to take action every day to help create a world tomorrow in which the planet, its people and pets can thrive.
For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
About Danimer Scientific
Danimer Scientific is a pioneer in creating more sustainable, more natural ways to make plastic products. For more than a decade, our renewable and sustainable biopolymers have helped create plastic products that are biodegradable and compostable. They return to nature instead of polluting our lands and waters. Our technology can be found in a vast array of plastic end products that people use every day. Applications for our biopolymers include additives, aqueous coatings, fibers, filaments, films, hot-melt adhesives and injection-molded articles, among others. We now hold more than 150 granted patents and pending patent applications in more than 20 countries for a range of manufacturing processes and biopolymer formulations. For more information, visit www.DanimerScientific.com.
Forward–Looking Statements
Please note that in this press release we may use words such as "appears," "anticipates," "believes," "plans," "expects," "intends," "future," and similar expressions which constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are made based on our expectations and beliefs concerning future events impacting the Company and therefore involve a number of risks and uncertainties. We caution that forward-looking statements are not guarantees and that actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results of operations or financial condition of the Company to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to, the overall level of consumer demand on our products; general economic conditions and other factors affecting consumer confidence, preferences, and behavior; disruption and volatility in the global currency, capital, and credit markets; the financial strength of the Company's customers; the Company's ability to implement its business strategy, including, but not limited to, its ability to expand its production facilities and plants to meet customer demand for its products and the timing thereof; risks relating to the uncertainty of the projected financial information with respect to the Company; the ability of the Company to execute and integrate acquisitions; changes in governmental regulation, legislation or public opinion relating to our products; the Company's exposure to product liability or product warranty claims and other loss contingencies; disruptions and other impacts to the Company's business, as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic and government actions and restrictive measures implemented in response; stability of the Company's manufacturing facilities and suppliers, as well as consumer demand for our products, in light of disease epidemics and health-related concerns such as the COVID-19 global pandemic; the impact that global climate change trends may have on the Company and its suppliers and customers; the Company's ability to protect patents, trademarks and other intellectual property rights; any breaches of, or interruptions in, our information systems; the ability of our information technology systems or information security systems to operate effectively, including as a result of security breaches, viruses, hackers, malware, natural disasters, vendor business interruptions or other causes; our ability to properly maintain, protect, repair or upgrade our information technology systems or information security systems, or problems with our transitioning to upgraded or replacement systems; the impact of adverse publicity about the Company and/or its brands, including without limitation, through social media or in connection with brand damaging events and/or public perception; fluctuations in the price, availability and quality of raw materials and contracted products as well as foreign currency fluctuations; our ability to utilize potential net operating loss carryforwards; and changes in tax laws and liabilities, tariffs, legal, regulatory, political and economic risks. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company's financial results is included from time to time in the Company's public reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are based upon information available to the Company as of the date of this press release, and speak only as of the date hereof. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release.
SOURCE Mars Wrigley
FAQ
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