MARS DRINKS Beats Sustainability Goal, Achieving 31 Percent Carbon Footprint Reduction with New Freshpack Design
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- MARS DRINKS, a 100 percent workplace focused division of Mars, Incorporated, today revealed a fresh new look and a more sustainable design for its single-serve packaging – called Freshpacks – with a 31 percent carbon footprint reduction.
"Our single most important sustainability priority over the next five years is solving the waste challenge for workplaces around the world that choose MARS DRINKS," said Xavier Unkovic, global president, MARS DRINKS. "Our new packaging represents meaningful progress toward our goal of becoming the most sustainable workplace drinks solution by 2020."
Now available in North America, the packaging's 31 percent reduced carbon footprint is based on data from an independent "Life Cycle Assessment" that analyzed the environmental impact of the packaging across all stages of production – from raw material extraction through distribution.
MARS DRINKS commissioned WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, Montreal, one of the world's leading engineering firms, to conduct the assessment according to international standards (ISO 14044:2006 Life Cycle Assessment).
"Increasingly, people at work want to know they have chosen a sustainable workplace drinks solution," said Samantha Veide, global director, corporate sustainable solutions, MARS DRINKS. "Customers have told us their number one sustainability issue when it comes to workplace drinks solutions is solving the packaging challenge. That's why we placed such a priority on rethinking our Freshpack design."
MARS DRINKS considered "upstream" environmental factors in creating the new design. As part of that approach, the company re-examined the whole Freshpack production process and identified the raw material extraction of aluminum was the most significant contributor to the carbon footprint of the raw materials in our pack. By removing aluminum, MARS DRINKS reduced emissions from the raw material extraction by 40 percent. The new packaging maintains its predecessor's benefits, including proprietary brewing technology to preserve freshness and eliminate flavor cross-over from one drink to the next.
MARS DRINKS will also continue its Recycle Your Freshpacks program, offering North American customers an easy way to divert 100 percent of Freshpacks from landfills.
"The new Freshpack is just the latest step in our ongoing journey to resolve the waste challenge for our customers," said Veide, who added MARS DRINKS is committed to ongoing innovation to further limit the impact of single-serve waste as they move towards achieving their 2020 sustainability goals.
MARS DRINKS produces the new packaging for the North American market at its West Chester, Pa. factory. MARS, Incorporated invested in a wind farm in Texas, which generates the equivalent amount of energy required to power all of MARS, Incorporated's operations in the U.S., including the MARS DRINKS West Chester, Pa. campus.
Guided by the sustainability commitments of its parent company, Mars, Incorporated, MARS DRINKS is focusing its 2016-2020 sustainability initiatives in three areas: sustainable agriculture, sustainable operations, and sustainable solutions. The company will continue to incorporate sustainability at every stage of its value chain, from the raw materials purchased, to the factories where products are made, to the consumables and technologies they deliver, to the world's workplaces.
For more information about MARS DRINKS' 2016-2020 sustainability strategy, and to download the full review, visit www.marsdrinks.com/sustainability.
ABOUT MARS DRINKS
MARS DRINKS creates great tasting moments at work by being at the center of workplace engagement, collaboration, productivity, and well-being. Throughout North America, Europe and Asia, MARS DRINKS supports businesses who want to provide great working environments for their people. Part of Mars, Incorporated, MARS DRINKS focuses its energy and resources on the workplace, with the belief that people are the most important asset to any business. In 1973, MARS DRINKS introduced KLIX®, the first-ever fully automatic in-cup drinks vending machine that serves large manufacturing channels across Europe. In 1984, MARS DRINKS pioneered the single serve hot drinks category, introducing FLAVIA®, the first system for making hot drinks using fresh ground coffee and leaf teas sealed in individual servings. Through its ALTERRA® Coffee Roasters coffees, THE BRIGHT TEA CO.® teas, and DOVE® Hot Chocolate, MARS DRINKS creates more than 1 billion great tasting moments at work! Find MARS DRINKS online at www.marsdrinks.com.
ABOUT MARS, INCORPORATED
Mars, Incorporated is a private, family-owned business with more than a century of history and some of the best-loved brands in the world including M&M'S®, PEDIGREE®, DOUBLEMINT® and UNCLE BEN'S®. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars has more than $35 billion in sales from six diverse business segments: Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks and Symbioscience. More than 80,000 Associates across 78 countries are united by the company's Five Principles: Quality, Efficiency, Responsibility, Mutuality and Freedom and strive every day to create relationships with stakeholders that deliver growth we are proud of as a company. Mars, Incorporated is proud to have been ranked 85th in the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® list, compiled by the Great Place to Work® Institute, for the third consecutive year.
SOURCE MARS DRINKS
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