Bel Group Shifts To Paper Packaging For Babybel Cheese

This sustainable packaging initiative aims to replace Babybel’s traditional cellophane with responsibly sourced paper by 2027, in a key move towards the company’s 2030 goal of having 100% recycling-ready packaging.

The transition to paper packaging represents the culmination of several years of intensive research and development.

The challenge has been multifaceted, ensuring the new paper material upholds the stringent requirements of product quality, microbiological safety, and resilience to temperature fluctuations.

Crucially, the famous red wax shell – integral to the product’s protection and taste – will remain unchanged.

Babybel had previously adopted a bio-based, home-compostable cellophane in late 2020.

Delphine Chatelin, director of research, innovation and development at the Bel Group, explained, saying, “It is not simply about replacing one material with another. It requires rethinking the entire protection system to ensure product quality and safety, from production to consumption.

“Our objective is to offer consumers the same iconic and enjoyable experience while meeting their expectations for sustainability and convenience, with packaging that is environmentally responsible and perfectly adapted to the product’s life cycle.”

The commercial roll-out of the new paper packaging has already commenced in the UK, with the US, Canada and Northern Europe scheduled to follow in 2026.

By 2027, the global expansion will have reached all 50 markets where Babybel is distributed.

Sustainable Growth Transformation

The group is actively reducing its environmental footprint across its entire value chain, from ingredient-sourcing and logistics to industrial processes and packaging.

The introduction of paper packaging aligns with Bel’s broader road map to reduce plastic use at the source – a brand-by-brand, market-by-market endeavour.

Kiri is also making significant progress, with advanced testing of its own paper-based packaging, aiming for large-scale industrial deployment.

The Laughing Cow cheeses and Materne compotes are embracing bulk formats through the DéfiVrac Coalition.

This initiative is supported by a dispensing machine designed for spreadable cheese, fruit purées, honey and oils, currently undergoing real-world testing in three stores