A Sweet Wake-Up Call for Chocolate Companies: Rethinking Valentine’s Day Packaging

Each year on Valentine’s Day, love takes centre stage, and chocolate is the gift of choice for millions. 

Valentine’s Day is big business. This year, the National Retail Federation (NRF) projects that 53% of consumers will celebrate, spending a staggering $25.8 billion on the holiday. Chocolate and candy account for 57% of that total — a sweet treat with a hefty environmental price tag. The National Confectioners Association reports that Valentine’s Day alone drives approximately four billion USD in confectionery sales annually, with an estimated 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolates sold each year. In the U.K., the holiday generates over 17,000 tonnes of cardboard packaging waste in a single day, from chocolate boxes to the avalanche of online gift orders. These numbers highlight the significant environmental impact of Valentine’s Day packaging, raising a critical question: how can businesses reduce the footprint of their sweetest offerings?

The Paper Packaging Problem

Paper packaging production has surged by 65% over the past two decades, largely driven by e-commerce and the shift away from plastic. The food and beverage sector is one of the largest consumers of paper packaging. While paper may seem like a greener alternative to plastic, its production comes with hidden costs. Each year, an alarming 3.1 billion trees are logged to meet global paper demand, threatening Ancient and Endangered Forests that are vital to mitigating climate change and stemming biodiversity loss.

Many of the world’s leading chocolate companies have adopted No-Deforestation policies to address commodities like cocoa or palm oil. However, most of these policies fail to extend to paper packaging. Our analysis of the top 10 chocolate companies reveals:

• Only three have robust No-Deforestation policies that include paper packaging.
• Six address forest-risk commodities like cocoa or palm oil but leave paper packaging out of the equation.
• Two lack explicit No-Deforestation policies altogether, offering only vague commitments to “eco-friendly” paper.

Even companies with paper sourcing commitments often rely on Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. While FSC is a useful baseline, it cannot meet the growing demand for paper packaging without driving increased logging pressure on the world’s critical forests.

Paper Packaging: A Silent Culprit

While chocolate companies have rightfully focused on addressing deforestation linked to cocoa and palm oil, they’ve often overlooked the impact of paper packaging. In fact, some companies have even touted their switch from plastic to paper as an “innovation” — a move that, while reducing plastic waste, has increased demand for virgin paper and amplified logging risks.

For instance:

• Mars: In 2023, Mars trialled recyclable paper packaging for candy bars at 500 Tesco stores in the U.K. and in Australia.
• Mondelez (makers of Cadbury): In 2024, Mondelez introduced paper-based outer wrapping for LU brand cookies and other multi-pack confectionery products.
• Pladis (makers of Godiva): In 2021, Pladis switched Jacob’s biscuit packaging from plastic to paper-based materials.

These changes, while well-intentioned, underscore the need for companies to view paper packaging as a high-risk commodity that demands comprehensive forest protection strategies.

The Solution: A Sweet Future for Packaging

The good news? Sustainable alternatives to traditional paper packaging already exist. Next-Generation (Next Gen) fibres, made from agricultural residues like wheat straw, barley straw, or sugarcane bagasse, offer a low-carbon, vital forest-free solution. By scaling the production of Next Gen fibres, we can replace one-third of the world’s virgin pulp supply by 2033 and prevent an estimated 1.3 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

Chocolate companies are uniquely positioned to lead the charge. Many already generate agricultural residues like cocoa hulls, which can be transformed into molded fibre packaging for trays and inserts. Mars has already trialled cocoa-hull-based display packaging, demonstrating the potential for innovation within the sector. 

Love for a Greener Future

Valentine’s Day represents a sweet opportunity for chocolate companies to step up and protect the world’s forests. By adopting comprehensive No-Deforestation policies that include paper packaging and embracing Next Gen fibre solutions, the chocolate sector can reduce its environmental footprint and help preserve Ancient and Endangered Forests.

This Valentine’s Day, let’s show love for business and the planet. Together, we can ensure that the sweetest moments don’t come at the expense of the world’s climate-critical forests.

With love for a sustainable future,

Ivy Schlegel
Pack4Good Strategy Lead