Quality Street has axed its iconic multicoloured plastic wrappers after 86 years

Nothing proves the festive season its on its way quite like spotting tubs and boxes of Quality Street stocked up high on shop shelves.

But this year, what’s inside those tubs and boxes will look a bit different.

That’s because the famous colourful plastic wrapping that encases those little chocolate delights that we all love so much has been axed by manufacturers Nestlé after 86 years in a bid to make them more environmentally friendly, and ultimately, stop what is nearly two billion wrappers ending up in landfill each year.

The change to the wrapping we are all familiar with is expected to be made in time for Christmas.

The confectionary company said it believes people will respond “positively” when it unveils the new plastic-free wrappings in a few weeks time.

So, with around 1.7 billion Quality Street chocolates said to be enjoyed every year in the UK, what is the alternative then? What should those with a sweet tooth be expecting from a Quality Street this Christmas?

Well, Nestlé has announced that, from now on, each individual chocolate will instead be coated in a vegetable-based wax – which is said to be designed to keep the sweets fresh, without hindering the recycling process in the long term.

See more

Thankfully though, those famous bright colours are going nowhere.

This means you’ll still be able to unwrap a Green Triangle, Orange Creme, Toffee Penny, and more in the colours you’ve always known.

“Quality Street is a brand people feel very strongly about,” said Cheryl Allen – Head of Sustainability.

“We know that opening the lid and seeing ‘the jewels’, as we call them, is really important, and we think we’ve done a really good job with the redesign and feel confident that people will respond positively.”

Read more:

• A completely objective ranking of every Quality Street sweet
• M&S has removed ‘best before’ dates from all fruit and veg to tackle food waste
• Quality Street adds its first ever white chocolate treat to tins ready for Christmas

This is not the first time Nestlé has made changes to packaging of its products in the name of sustainability either.

“Packaging helps protect food and beverages, ensure product quality and safety, communicate nutritional information and prevent food waste,” the company says on its website.

“However, these essential requirements should not come at the expense of the planet, and that’s why we are continually developing more sustainable packaging and committed to reducing waste from packaging.”

Featured Image – Nestlé