Confectioner Perfetti Van Melle has announced new packaging for Mentos gum that is 90% paper and widely acceptable by curbside recycling. The new paper tubes will launch at 3,000 Walmart locations and online at Walmart.com.
The new paper tubes were tailored for Mentos gum in partnership with Graphic Packaging International. The new paper tube gets made of Boardio fiber-based material, which interweaves small layers of aluminum and polyethylene into virgin fiber material. When recycled, the non-paper material gets separated into the waste or waste-to-energy stream of the recycling mill.
The tubes follow Mentos’ branding and design, save for the top lip, left uncovered to highlight the new paper-based material. A graphic calling out the 90% paper-based composition gets set in a green circle that seems slightly inspired by the ubiquitous chasing-arrow recycling logo. The graphic does use its negative space to highlight the new fiber material, which is a nice touch. The top of the tube is hinged, and a small, removable sticker inside covers a hole that dispenses the gum.
While not plastic-free or made of a single material, the new Mentos gum paper tubes are recyclable and nearly all paper. Holly Ingram, a spokesperson for Perfetti Van Melle, told Dieline that the remaining 10% of aluminum and plastic is to “help ensure both the safety and freshness of the product.”
Paper tube Mentos gum is available in two flavors—fresh mint and spearmint—at Walmart and Walmart.com now.
Let’s just hope the gum is plastic-free (spoiler alert, it’s not).
