Cadbury chocolate packages to melt away
Date: 04-Nov-03
Country: UK
Biodegradable trays that look like plastic but are made of water-soluble cornstarch polymer will be used for Cadbury's Milk Tray chocolates sold in Australia, the company said.
"There have been some discussions about using...the technology more widely both in Australia and elsewhere. However, all discussions are confidential at this stage," a Cadbury's spokeswoman said.
The material, developed in Australia by Plantic Technologies Limited, needs to be saturated with water in order to disintegrate and is not affected by humid conditions.
Plantic said the material cosmetically is indistinguishable or even superior to petrochemical products, but will cut down on waste.
"(It) dissolves upon contact with water to reduce significantly the environmental impacts of the packaging, whether it goes to landfill via the proper channels or is discarded as litter," Plantic said.
Cadbury could not immediately say how much less plastic it would use because of the new trays.
The products with the packaging will carry a logo to indicate the tray is made from the biodegradable material.