Mentos Eschews Unwanted Plastic With 90% Paper Bottle For Gum

Video screenshot via Perfetti Van Melle / PR Newswire

Mentos is getting a menthol-fresh switch in the US. Pure Fresh Gum has officially adopted a 90% paperboard bottle, a first for any gum product by a global confectioner.

The packaging, announced by parent company Perfetti Van Melle and produced in conjunction with Graphic Packaging International, is recyclable via the usual curbside services or drop-offs. Recycling instructions are also displayed on the tubes.

Image via Perfetti Van Melle / PR Newswire

The bottles are constructed from Boardio material, which consists of aluminum and polyethylene woven into a virgin fiber component. Thanks to the 90% paper makeup, they can be broken down easily; the non-paper bits are then set aside for the waste or waste-to-energy channels, Dieline notes.

The packaging notably has a paper lid that customers can peel from the corner.

Video screenshot via Perfetti Van Melle / PR Newswire

It’s worth mentioning that the tube still included 10% aluminum and plastic to retain the candy’s freshness and prevent contamination, a spokesperson told Dieline. Nevertheless, it’s mostly paper and buyers can still recycle it with no hassle.

“These razor-thin layers create a powerful gas-tight barrier that prevents oxygen and water vapor from entering the package. It keeps food fresh for a longer time, which means higher quality, improved food safety, less waste and fewer greenhouse gas emissions,” clarifies Graphic Packaging International on its website.

Some 3,000 Walmart locations nationwide, plus the grocery chain’s website, now stock the newly packaged Mentos Pure Fresh Gum in fresh mint and spearmint variations. Perfetti Van Melle says other retailers are keen on selling it too.

[via Dieline and Candy Industry, images via Perfetti Van Melle / PR Newswire]