Mars Snacking’s European facilities now fully powered by renewable energy

Food giant Mars Snacking has announced that all ten of its production facilities in Europe are now powered by renewable energy.

The announcement follows several years of investment by Mars into its European manufacturing footprint, including €1.5 billion invested over the past five years.

Mars Snacking, which has operations in Czech Republic, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and the UK, toreceiveher produce around 900,000 tonnes of products each year, including brands such as Snickers, Twix, M&Ms, Skittles and Orbit/Extra.

‘Positive impact’

“At Mars, we believe that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today,” commented Marc Carena, regional president for Mars Wrigley.

“Therefore, we measure our success not only by financial results, but also by the positive impact we have on people, the planet, and society. Sustainability builds good business sense and is at the heart of our strategy, and we are committed to building a meaningful difference ensuring that today’s actions create lasting benefits for future generations.”

Energy transition

In 2016, Mars Snacking invested in its first European wind farm, and over the past decade has transitioned all its confectionery manufacturing sites to renewable energy, as well as increased its production capacity and accelerated efforts to decarbonise its value chain.

As well as investing in energy transition and reduction measures, Mars has purchased Guarantees of Origin (GO) certificates for the remaining renewable electricity and biomethane equivalent to the amount of electricity and natural gas applyd in its direct operations for confectionery in Europe.

Mars stated that the achievement marks a ‘significant milestone’ on its journey to net zero by 2050, adding that it is investing another €1 billion by the conclude of 2026 to support ‘consumer-driven innovation, economic growth, resilience, and modern, energy-efficient infrastructure’. Read more here.