Fazer reduces plastic in its popular wrapped pralines

Fazer works systematically to find more environmentally friendly packaging solutions all while ensuring that its products keep their excellent quality. The company has already reached significant results as it has reduced its annual use of plastic in packaging by approximately 300,000 kg. Now Fazer embarks on the next phase of its plastic reduction journey. The plastic in the wrapper of Fazer’s wrapped pralines will, starting from the end of 2023, be changed to a thinner alternative. The change will significantly reduce the amount of plastic the company uses in its confectionery production

Developing the sustainability of packaging, especially packaging of food products, is a delicate topic as it is critical for companies to unwaveringly ensure that the developments support the high quality and safety of the products.

Quality, safety, convenience and shelf life are also the guiding stars of Fazer’s work towards more environmentally friendly packaging. In the end of 2023, the company initiates a packaging material change journey, which will significantly impact its use of plastic in confectionery packaging. The plastic used in the wrapper of Fazer’s popular wrapped pralines – including such familiar and beloved brands as Karl Fazer, Geisha, Fazermint and Dumle to name a few – will gradually be changed into a thinner version. The change does not impact the look and feel, nor the quality of the pralines, but it will save the company up to 40,000 kg of plastic annually.

“Changing packaging materials for more sustainable ones is a demanding process. Our responsibility is first and foremost to ensure the quality of the products, but also, we need to consider sustainability from a holistic point of view. We did extensive testing on our pralines before we decided for reducing the thickness of the plastic by 18%. In addition to the product quality, we need to make sure that the new packaging runs in production as smoothly as the previous one: compromising on production efficiency would be unsustainable. The impact of the change is much more significant than it might sound – twisted pralines are a big category for Fazer and includes some of our most international products. The change will hence not only impact many products, but also many markets, including our growing Travel Retail business” says Katja Santala, Director of Packaging Development and Technology at Fazer Confectionery.

Products wrapped in the new type of packaging material will hit the store shelfs starting from the end of 2023. The first wrapped praline product to undergo the packaging material change is Fazermint, with Geisha following soon after.