Indian chocolate bar brand Kocoatrait is exceeding the requirements of the country’s mandated Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme by enabling consumers to return their fiber-based bar wrappers directly to the brand for recycling into new wrappers. 

“Our chocolate now contains a note with our address printed on it, which provides a convenient option to the consumer to return the product packaging to us via regular mail,” L Nitin Chordia, co-founder of Kocoatrait, tells PackagingInsights. 

The consumer pays for the postage to return the packaging, while Kocoatrait foots the administrative costs to store and ship the returned wrappers to its packaging suppliers.

“We view these costs as investments – and not as pure costs – into building an [environmentally] sustainable planet for our future generation. There are no additional costs or savings because the returned wrappers serve as a raw material for the upcycling of a new future set of wrappers.”

According to Innova Market Insights, 71% of Indian consumers are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly packaging, and 78% are even willing to switch their usual brands for a brand with more environmentally sustainable packaging.

“This will help us build brand loyalty among an increasing and new set of conscious consumers, but more importantly, set a precedent for bean-to-bar chocolate makers in India to follow,” says Chordia.

Kocoatrait says its wrappers mark India’s first zero-waste chocolate bars.Biodegradable, compostable and recyclable 
Kocoatrait’s recycling of an already upcycled wrapper has “probably never been done before,” maintains Chordia. “Our attempt is to ensure we don’t leave any stone unturned in trying to be sustainable and planet-friendly.”

Innova Market Insights crowned “Shared Planet” as its leading F&B trend for 2022, focusing on how both industry and consumers can play their part in shaping a sustainable and prosperous future. 

The market researcher underscores that consumers now rank planetary health as their number one concern, overtaking personal health, which took top priority in recent years.

Inside the wrapper
The chocolate brand’s wrapper is upcycled using reclaimed cotton from garment factories and reclaimed cocoa shells, a byproduct of its roasting process. It is free from both plastic and paper.

Currently, 16% of materials – “corners mostly,” says Chordia – are wasted in the die-cutting process. 

Consequently, Kocoatrait opted for a chocolate bar packaging mold that ensures minimal waste: “We pride ourselves on using the same wrapper size as the chocolate bar. We do not enclose a smaller bar of chocolate in a large wrapper to make the chocolate look bigger than it actually is. This is a common practice in the industry,” says Chordia. “With Kocoatrait, what you see is what you get.”

The bar’s shape and size was also seleced to reduce volumetric weight, reducing overall freight space and carbon emissions. Also, the wrappers only use water-based inks to make them compostable, biodegradable and recyclable. 

The brand strives for zero-waste by printing various consumer engagement promotions, such as greeting cards, bookmarks, mandala art templates and health trackers, on the inside of the wrappers.

According to Innova data, 78% of Indian consumers are willing to switch their usual brands for a brand with more sustainable packaging.Reducing post-consumer waste
In Kocoatrait’s view, one of the most obvious challenges in the chocolate industry is reducing post-consumer waste. 

“Additionally, the amount of energy and the forms of energy used must be economized and optimized. Both have a direct relationship with the chocolate packaging and impact the decisions conscious brands like Kocoatrait take,” says Chordia.

Last year, FoodIngredientsFirst spoke with experts from Barry Callebaut, Luker Chocolate and AAK about category shifts in the chocolate space. PackagingInsights also reported on intensifying legislative pressure and consumer demands for more eco-friendly packaging in the confectionery arena, as packaging innovators respond with recyclable plastic solutions, bioplastic and fiber-based alternatives. 

“We have just started and there is a lot more to be achieved in this space,” Chordia concludes.