Increasingly, the business of being good is good for business. Kit Kat recently changed its plastic wrappers in Japan for fully-recyclable, high strength paper, and Coca-Cola has just announced its first batch of bottles made from marine plastics recovered in the Mediterranean. Around 300 bottles have been made using a new extraction technology, and the Kit Kat initiative is predicted to save around 380 tonnes of plastic packaging annually, according to the brand.
These moves from huge global companies are not only good for the planet, they’re likely to be good for their brands too, as consumers increasingly become more conscious about the impact of their purchasing choices.
A 2018 survey published by Nielsen found that 81% of global respondents feel strongly that companies should help improve the environment. This is keenly felt in the UK, as recent Extinction Rebellion climate crisis protests have demonstrated. Over 40 UK firms have promised that their plastic packaging will be reusable, recyclable or compostable within seven years, while two-thirds will be recycled or composted, (compared to 45% today) a recent report stated.
However, the slow pace of change means consumers are frustrated by a lack of responsible choices. According to Kantar Worldpanel, 70% of consumers plan to change their buying behaviour as a result of how sustainable a product is, so it’s likely that this move by Nestle will have a positive impact on Kit Kat sales too.
Now just make the four-finger Kit Kat a perfect hand-shaped five-finger bar, and that’s it, I’ll never touch a Dairy Milk again.