Quality Street fans in for a major change as Nestle ditches plastic tubs for paper in sustainability drive

More than 200,000 of the tubs will be available in a trial with Tesco. They will be available in selected stores and be appearing on the shelves next week.

Fans of Quality Street sweets will be able to get their hands on a new paper tub this Christmas as part of a bid to reduce the use of virgin plastics.

Nestle has announced a "first-of-a-kind" design to switch the iconic plastic tubs for paper, with the aim to make the packaging more sustainable.

More than 200,000 of the tubs will be available in a trial with Tesco, appearing on the shelves in selected stores next week.

The paper tub, which comes in the signature Quality Street purple, is embellished with gold foil detailing and the iconic sweet wrappers.

Nestle say the design means the tub will be able to be securely closed once opened, and once empty it can be put in household recycling.

The chocolate giant said the tub has been subjected to significant testing to ensure food quality and freshness while being transported and stored prior to going on sale, and feedback from the trial will then be evaluated.

Jemma Handley, Senior Brand Manager for Quality Street, said: “We’re looking forward to seeing what Quality Street fans make of the paper tub.

"A lot of care and hard work has gone into the trial and we’re proud to be the first major manufacturer to trial a paper tub at Christmas.

"The beautiful design has been devised specifically for a paper product and we love how it looks, and of course, shoppers can expect the same great tasting Quality Street sweets that they know and love inside.

“We know there are some Quality Street fans who, controversially, like to put their wrappers back in the tub once they’ve eaten them - with the paper tub, they can put the paper wrappers back for a good reason - it can go straight into the recycling.”

Cheryl Allen, Head of Sustainability – Confectionery Europe at Nestlé, said: “The Quality Street paper tub is an exciting innovation that we’re really proud of here at Nestlé Confectionery.

"We’re committed to making our packaging more sustainable, keeping in mind the changing needs of shoppers and advancements in technology.

"Of course, with all potential packaging changes, we want to get it right, so this trial will bring us valuable information to inform our next steps as we keep pushing to reduce our use of virgin plastic.”

As part of the brand’s sustainability journey, in 2022, Quality Street moved to recyclable paper packaging for its twist-wrapped sweets.

By replacing the double layer of foil and cellulose with a single paper wrap, Quality Street removed almost two billion pieces of packaging material from the brand's supply chain.

Earlier this year, Nestle UK & Ireland announced that it would use traceable cocoa ingredients in all its UK-made chocolate.

Quality Street is now made using cocoa mass that has been specifically sourced from cocoa farming families that are part of Nestlé’s Income Accelerator Programme, aimed at helping close the living income gap of cocoa-farming families and reduce child labour risks within the supply chain.

Alongside the Quality Street paper tub trial at Tesco, shoppers will be able to buy the sweets in the plastic tub, tin, pouch, and carton at stores nationwide this Christmas.