Riverside Natural Foods and Amcor launched a recyclable paper wrapper for snack bars that reduces virgin plastic by 77% while maintaining package performance and consumer appeal. The innovation uses FSC-certified fiber and is certified for curbside recycling.
- The new paper wrapper reduces virgin plastic by 77% compared to traditional bar wrapping materials
- 79% of consumers rated the paper package as better than standard granola bar wrappers in independent testing
- The package contains more than 80% fiber and is How2Recycle certified for easy curbside recycling
- Riverside worked with Amcor's R&D team to ensure no compromise on run speeds or graphic quality
- This launch follows global trends, including recent paper wrapper switches by Walkers Chocolates, Orkla Snacks, Nestlé KitKat, and Mars
The global paperization trend in confectionery and snack bars is now planting a flag in the U.S. Riverside Natural Foods and Amcor say that this exclusive launch during Earth Month is a category-first solution that delivers curbside recyclability in the paper stream without compromise on package performance.
“At Riverside Natural Foods, we are continuously letting our curiosity guide us and ask ourselves – how can we take the next best step forward toward a more sustainable future? For us, this was innovating a category-first paper package for our consumers to enjoy while minimizing the impact on the planet. We are so proud to achieve this with our partners at Amcor,” says Salma Fotovat, co-founder and sourcing, procurement, and impact director at Riverside.
The new recyclable wrapper uses Amcor’s AmFiber, a paper-based lamination made with FSC-certified (C206475) fiber. Compared to traditional bar wrap, the package reduces the amount of virgin plastic by 77% and has been certified by Western Michigan University to meet repulpability standards necessary for the recycling process. Each snack bar package consists of of more 80% fiber, the threshold to be certified by WMU.
Riverside worked closely with Amcor’s R&D to ensure the new package met the needs of both the brand and the consumer. They say this collaboration resulted in a package with no compromise on run speeds or graphic quality.
To further ensure consumer needs were met, Riverside and Amcor partnered on an independent home usage study that allowed consumers to use the product as they normally would throughout the week and evaluate the package performance. The study found that after interacting with the paper wrapper, 79% of the consumers agreed the package was ‘somewhat better’ or ‘much better’ than the usual granola bar wrapper. Additionally, 79% of consumers agreed they would choose this product over another brand that doesn’t have recyclable packaging.
“The partnership of Amcor and Riverside Natural Foods pairs two industry leaders in sustainability to deliver an innovative package that is How2Recycle certified and easy for consumers to recycle anywhere,” says Desmond VanHouten, director of marketing at Amcor Flexibles North America.
British favorite Walkers Chocolates recently switched to paper with their own brand Turkish Delight. Even more recently, Finnish brand owner Orkla Snacks began piloting a new paper wrapper, replacing traditional polypropylene plastic wrappers, for its Panda Milk Chocolate brand.These two recent moves follow a host of chocolate and confectionery swaps away from plastic into paper-based wrappers, including by both Nestlé KitKat and Mars in Australia, and Mars candy bars in the U.K. PW
