Life on a green planet

It's all systems go at Mars' snackfoods division now that the firm has announced plans to reduce packaging by 10% by 2010. "Across Europe we're looking at a 10,000t reduction," says, packaging development director Amanda Davies. "We launched the initiative six months ago and we have task groups in each country scouring internal associates and suppliers to find potential opportunities. We're about 60-70% through the identification process, though we've still got a way to go on the implementation."

Mars has been reducing packaging for 10 years, but it's only in the last couple that it's become relevant for the consumer, says Davies.

"The best indicator of the growing importance of sustainability is time resource," she says. "Two years ago, I spent 5% of my time thinking about the environment, now it's more like 30%. I've also got a sustainability project manager in my team - that's a first."

To ensure that any future packaging makes the grade, the firm has been working on a new scorecard system with Envirowise. "We've just developed a new packaging sustainability wizard," says Davies. "We can't afford to do a complete lifecycle analysis everyday because those are huge pieces of scientific research, so we've got a ready reckoner that we use early in the process to help us make the best choices."

She claims that the tool allows all staff to get involved in improving packaging. "You choose the material, you talk about the pallet utilisation, the weight of the packaging, and where it's sourced from - really simple metrics that everyone can understand. In developing this tool I wanted to make sure everyone in the group has sustainability in their day-to-day thinking - it's not just a special core team of people who only think about green matters."

In the short-term, Mars is striving to minimise its existing packaging. "This Christmas we're launching a Celebrations tin that weighs 46% less and in Easter 2009 we're going to take about 42% of our medium [chocolate] eggs' board weight out," says Davies.

As well as reducing packaging weight, the firm is aiming to ensure that its top 10 items across snackfood, petfood and food are best in class. Dolmio jars are already there but Mars still has plans to improve them. "We would love to increase their recycled glass content, but at the moment the maximum we can use is 50% as it's limited by market supply," explains Davies. "We want to drive our materials to be recycled so that we can reuse them again." She says that recycled glass has the potential to make up over 80% of the jars, but that won't happen until 2010 when enough is available.

Despite its impressive targets, the firm has remained relatively quiet about its packaging reduction initiative. "There's a lot of talk about green-wash, which is why Mars hasn't been particularly quick at talking about our plans," she says. "Even some of the big changes that we're making are not consumer noticeable. In order to gain their trust, consumers have to see visible action and that's where WRAP [Waste & Resources Action Programme] can help."

Mars signed up to WRAP's Courtauld Commitment last year and has welcomed plans to look at targets outside weight. "The biggest question is the metric beyond weight and how we get something that drives the right decision, but isn't cumbersome," says Davies. "It has to be practical to use and it needs to be something that consumers understand. At the moment, if we're looking for an environmental indicator then carbon probably is the one."

The key issue for Davies is that consumers understand that action is being taken. "How many consumers actually understand carbon emissions? I think the number is very low. But as long as they feel confident that the change is being made, that's the main thing." FM