Mars Wrigley and Danimer Scientific innovative partnership to develop biodegradable packaging for home composting

Mars Wrigley and Danimer Scientific, a leading developer and manufacturer of biodegradable materials, announced in March 2021 a partnership to develop an innovative home compostable packaging.

Danimer Scientific’s polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) material is produced through natural fermentation processes using plant oils such as soy and canola and has been certified as biodegradable in both soil and marine environments. In addition this polymer is renewably sourced, making it a truly circular material that helps eliminate waste. Danimer Scientific and Mars Wrigley plan to introduce it into flexible and rigid packaging that reliably breaks down in both industrial composting facilities and backyard compost units.

Through its Sustainable in a Generation Plan, Mars has a plan for 100% of their plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. This joint collaboration will focus on innovation that will meet consumers expectations for sustainable packaging using a renewable material and minimizing the impact on the environment at the end of life, without sacrificing packaging quality.

The aim of this partnership 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. The first brand Mars Wrigley will introduce will be SKITTLES® in North America (planned for late 2021 or early 2022) with the goal of reaching additional markets with underdeveloped recycling infrastructures where littering and leakage into nature are especially problematic.

This collaboration within the packaging value to advance this transformational technology represents an important step change towards improved environmental outcomes across the full lifecycle of small, flexible packaging bringing Mars packaging sustainability strategy closer to its vision for a circular economy where no packaging becomes waste.

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