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If you buy a Mars bar from the British supermarket Tesco in the UK, you might notice something different. The usual plastic wrapper of the chocolate bar has been replaced with a new wrapper made of paper.
Mars Inc., the company that makes Mars bars, is testing this new paper packaging for a short period of time.
The company wants to try out different types of packaging. They will listen to feedback from customers to help make better packaging in the future.
The current plastic wrappers of Mars bars cannot be recycled, just like many other food packaging materials. Consumers have been asking big companies like Mars to change their packaging to help the environment.
Mars is not the first chocolate company to use greener packaging. Nestlé has already changed the packaging for some of its Quality Street sweets from plastic wrappers to recyclable paper.
Nestlé also announced that they would use 80% recycled plastic for KitKat wrappers.
A packaging expert at Mars Inc.’s research and development center said that finding the right paper packaging for Mars bars was a challenge. The paper has to protect the chocolate, keeping it safe and fresh, so it doesn’t go to waste.
Mars is investing a lot of money to redesign their packaging and reduce the use of new plastic. They want to decrease the amount of plastic they use by 25% in the short term and increase their use of recycled plastic.
Vocabulary
- Notice – to become aware of; to see; to learn of something
- Usual – Normal or typical; what usually happens or is expected
- Wrapper – A covering or packaging material used to enclose or protect something; packaging
- Chocolate bar – chocolate candy in a square or rectangle shape
- Replace – to take the place of; to substitute; to come after; to fill in; swap; exchange
- Test – to do something to learn if it is safe, works correctly, etc.; try out
- Packaging – materials used to wrap and protect products for sale and transport; the box or plastic container that a product is in
- Try out – to use something to discover if it works or if you like it; test;
- Type – kind; a category or classification of something
- Feedback – helpful information or criticism to help someone improve; a reaction; assessment
- Current – happening or being used or done now;
- Recycle – to use again; to change trash into something useable; repurpose
- Material – a physical thing that you use to build or make other things (cotton is a common material used to make t-shirts)
- Consumer – customer; user; shopper
- Environment – the natural world; the place we live; the area around us; nature; Earth
- Green – environmentally friendly; in support of or helping the environment and nature; interested in protecting the earth; not bad for the environment
- Sweet – candy; confectionery; chocolates
- Announce – share information openly; to tell the public; to make a statement; to report
- Expert – a person with great knowledge and experience in a trade or profession
- Research and development (R&D) – activities/processes that companies do to innovate/create new products and services; A process of learning and creating new things
- Center – a location or organization that focuses on a specific activity; a facility/building for a specific function, activity, or type of event
- Challenge – problem; obstacle; something that needs a lot of work in order to be done successfully,
- Protect – keep safe or secure; guard; defend
- Fresh – not stale or old; recently produced, prepared, or harvested; new
- Go to waste – to throw away or discard something that could have or should have been used; to waste; to not use something and it then becomes unusable
- Invest – put money into; spend money on a project or business
- Redesign – To make changes or improvements to the design of something
- Reduce – to make less; make smaller; decrease; bring down; shrink
Quiz
Discussion Questions
- What do you think about companies like Mars and Nestlé switching to greener packaging? Do you believe it will have a positive impact on the environment? Why or why not?
- Are you personally concerned about the amount of plastic used in food packaging? What steps do you take to reduce your own plastic consumption?
- How do you think the change in packaging from plastic to paper will affect the cost of Mars bars? Do you think consumers will be willing to pay more for a more sustainable option?
- Are there any other food or beverage products that you would like to see switch to greener packaging? Why?
Original Story
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