Mars Ice Cream has unveiled plans to grow the business to $1 billion by 2030 through sustainability implementations.
The company has twelve billion-dollar brands across the globe that fall into the snacking, food and pet categories, including M&M’s, Extra gum and Snickers. Reaching the $1 billion figure in sales would place Mars Ice Cream among these brands, it said.
Mars entered the ice cream category 35 years ago after it purchased the Dovebar brand. Dovebar is said to be the first Mars Ice Cream product with a sustainability ambition. Dovebars are made with 100% real ice cream using vanilla sourced from a large-scale project in Madagascar.
The project, in partnership with the ‘Livelihoods Fund for Family Farming’, works to improve the lives of 2,700 vanilla farmers. It specifically focuses on empowering female vanilla farmers and improving the financial stability of all farmers and their communities.
“The widespread popularity of iconic Mars brands gives consumers the opportunity to enjoy their favourite candies as innovative Mars Ice Cream products,” said Shaf Lalani, general manager for Mars Ice Cream. “Mars Wrigley North America will deliver both growth and positive societal impact with our vanilla for Dovebar and empower women throughout our supply chain.”
Mars Wrigley manufactures Dovebars in its Burr Ridge facility in Illinois, US. The facility is said to source 100% renewable electricity and sends zero waste to landfills.
Additionally, Mars is investing hundreds of millions of dollars into innovative sustainable packaging with the aim of having 100% of all Mars packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable. Mars recently reduced the film gage in its Dove ice cream bars, which eliminates 27 tons of plastic annually, across four different product offerings.
“At Mars, we see an opportunity to grow our ice cream business not only in North America but around the globe,” said Anton Vincent, president at Mars Wrigley North America and head of Mars Ice Cream globally. “We’re innovating with a focus on product and purpose, and expanding our global manufacturing capabilities to ensure we can meet rapidly rising consumer demand.”
By Gwen Jones
Source: foodbev.com
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