Mars Snacking Factories in Europe now Fully Powered by Renewable Energy
- All ten Mars Snacking factories in Europe are now powered by renewable energy.
- This covers the annual production of around 900,000 tonnes of some of the region's favourite brands, including SNICKERS®, TWIX®, M&M'S®, SKITTLES® and ORBIT/EXTRA®.
- This is one of the examples of the €1.5 bn investment Mars has been making in its EU manufacturing network to modernise facilities, increase production capacity and accelerate efforts to decarbonise its value chain.
BRUSSELS, Sept. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Mars today announced that all ten of its Mars Snacking factories in Europe are now fully powered by renewable energy.1
This milestone was achieved after years of investments into its European manufacturing footprint, including €1.5 bn invested over the past five years. The company invested in its first European windfarm in 2016, and over the past decade has transitioned all confectionery manufacturing sites across Europe to renewable electricity. In addition to investments to reduce and convert energy consumption, Mars has purchased Guarantees of Origin (GO) certificates for the remaining renewable electricity and biomethane equivalent to the amount of electricity and natural gas used in the company's direct operations for confectionery in Europe.
Located in Czech Republic, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and the UK, these ten factories produce 900,000 tonnes of some of Europe's favourite brands each year, including SNICKERS®, TWIX®, M&M'S®, SKITTLES® and ORBIT/EXTRA®, of which 85% is consumed locally in the region.
"At Mars, we believe that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. Therefore, we measure our success not only by financial results, but also by the positive impact we have on people, the planet, and society. Sustainability makes good business sense and is at the heart of our strategy, and we are committed to making a meaningful difference ensuring that today's actions create lasting benefits for future generations," commented Marc Carena, Regional President for Mars Wrigley.
This is a significant milestone on the company's global journey to net zero by 2050, and is an example of the investment Mars is making in its EU manufacturing (€1.5 billion over the past five years and another €1 billion by the end of 2026) to support consumer-driven innovation, economic growth, resilience, and modern, energy-efficient infrastructure.
Learn more about Mars Sustainable in Generation Plan here and details of recent announcement about an additional €1bn investment in its European manufacturing footprint.
Media Contact:
Julie Lovell, Regional Corporate Affairs Director, Mars Wrigley
[email protected]
+44 79710 09722
1This applies to renewable electricity and direct gas use through certificate market-based instruments in each market of operation. These certificates are issued under European schemes and retired annually to match our consumption, rather than representing direct physical supply to our sites. This renewable energy coverage applies for the duration of current contracts and will be reviewed annually.
About Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated is driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. As an approximately $55bn family-owned business, our diverse and expanding portfolio of leading pet care products and veterinary services support pets all around the world and our quality snacking and food products delight millions of people every day. We produce some of the world's best-loved brands including ROYAL CANIN®, PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, CESAR®, DOVE®, EXTRA®, M&M'S®, SNICKERS® and BEN'S ORIGINAL™. Our international networks of pet hospitals, including BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, VCA™ and ANICURA™ span preventive, general, specialty, and emergency veterinary care, and our global veterinary diagnostics business ANTECH® offers breakthrough capabilities in pet diagnostics. The Mars Five Principles—Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom—inspire our 150,000 Associates to act every day to help create a better world for people, pets and the planet.
For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Notes to editors
- The company's journey to renewable electricity in the region began in 2016 with an investment in the Moy wind farm in the UK. Over the past decade, Mars has transitioned all confectionery manufacturing sites across Europe to renewable electricity, purchasing GO and REGO certificates equivalent to its annual electricity use in each market.
- Moving away from natural gas was a more difficult challenge, as it is used to run intensive infrastructure such as boilers and ovens. After reviewing a number of options, the company opted to purchase biomethane as the preferred approach to support delivery of its decarbonisation plan across Mars Snacking European manufacturing sites.
- To ensure the biomethane it purchases is produced responsibly, Mars has made it a contractual requirement that the biomethane must comply with strict international standards (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) or Biomass Biofuels Sustainability voluntary scheme (2BSvs), which ensure compliance with the European Renewable Energy Directive. Among other things, it requires that the producer of the biomethane does not increase its land usage and ensures its gas is generated from waste feedstocks.
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SOURCE Mars
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