New eco-friendly Origami packaging from KitKat

It’s no secret that Nestlé Japan Ltd boasts a wide collection of unique KitKat flavors that are exclusively available in Japan, including matcha, sake, strawberry cheesecake and various region-inspired editions. However, in order to make their products more sustainable and recyclable, the company has introduced a new style of paper packaging for its multipack KitKats.

The confectionery company’s move is part of the global commitment proposed by its parent company Nestlé, to make 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025. Nestlé Japan estimates that this alternative material helps them reduce their plastic waste by approximately 380 tons per year.

The switch is currently limited to the outer packaging of 5 KitKat Mini flavors, including regular, dark chocolate, and matcha. That said, the candy bars are still individually wrapped in plastic. Nestlé Japan is looking to expand the use of paper packaging to other KitKat multipacks in September 2020, and roll out individual paper wrappers in 2021.

Nestlé Japan’s CEO Takaoka Kozo explains the reason behind this action, saying that “Japan is the biggest market for KitKat, and 10-15% of our customers are tourists from outside of Japan. As the manufacturer of this popular product, we believe that taking action to reduce single-use plastic is our responsibility.”

The outer paper packaging is designed with instructions on how to fold an origami crane. The crane is believed to be a traditional messenger of gratitude and well-wishes in Japan, and customers are encouraged to write a short personal message on a designated blank area on the origami bird. Nestlé Japan hopes that customers can find a creative way of reusing the paper packaging, instead of throwing it straight into the bin.

Providing fun ideas like origami creates an opportunity for consumers to enjoy the process of reducing waste, and could eventually facilitate collective action to achieve a waste-free future. Nestlé Japan’s endeavor is still at an early stage, but this long-term action will surely raise awareness among many KitKat fans within and outside of Japan.