Big change coming to KitKat (2024)

As of today, iconic chocolate brand KitKat will be looking very different following a shocking statistic it uncovered about Australian consumers.

The milk chocolate bar found on the front of its packaging will temporarily be replaced with a recycling symbol.

It comes after a study commissioned by KitKat found that while 80 per cent of Aussies wanted to recycle, nearly half the population don’t know how to recycle properly.

The bold new move is part of its campaign, “Give the Planet a Break”, to encourage and educate Aussies to recycle their soft plastics correctly.

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The study showed that one in four people are unaware that they can recycle soft plastics such as chocolate and lolly wrappers, with a further 17 per cent unaware that soft plastics need to be recycled separately from other household recycling.

Nestlé General Manager Confectionery Chris O’Donnell told news.com.au it’s not often you see brands temporarily remove their logo from their hero product.

“However, recycling soft plastics correctly is something KitKat is committed to, which is why for the first time we’ve turned our iconic pack into a reminder that can’t be missed,” Mr O’Donnell said.

While the research revealed that Aussies have great intentions when it comes to recycling, there’s still more than a third (37 per cent) who aren’t confident when recycling soft plastics such as lolly and chips packets at home.

“So we hope this bold move gives people the confidence and understanding to recycle their soft plastics correctly and help ‘Give The Planet a Break’,” Mr O’Donnell said.

He said putting good reminders or systems in place, like stowing your soft plastics in a reusable shopping bag until you go back to the supermarket, will go a long way to helping you recycle more soft plastics.

“In order to encourage everyone to recycle right and drop off their KitKat wrappers and other soft plastics at REDcycle collections bins, we’ve turned our iconic pack into a reminder Aussies can’t miss.”

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Supporting industry data reveals recyclable soft plastics which make up 20 per cent of the volume of household rubbish bins, ultimately end up in landfill when incorrectly placed in the recycling or rubbish bin.

The limited-edition bars feature a KitKat-inspired recycling symbol and an explicit call to Aussies to drop off wrappers at REDcycle collection bins, located in most major Australian supermarkets.

“Dropping off soft plastics to REDcycle cannot only help divert them from landfill, but means they can be recycled to be used as a valuable resource to make useful items such as benches or fences,” Ms Tan said.