The brand’s signature red wax shell, critical for product protection and sensory integrity, will remain unchanged
In a major step toward its goal of achieving 100 per cent recycling-ready packaging by 2030, the Bel Group has announced a phased transition of Babybel packaging from its current bio-based cellophane to fully recyclable paper. By 2027, all Babybel products manufactured across the brand’s five global facilities and sold in 50 countries will feature packaging made from responsibly sourced paper.
The shift represents the culmination of several years of research, innovation, and industrial adaptation. While Babybel has used a home-compostable, bio-based cellophane wrapper since 2020, the paper move required a complete rethinking of the product’s protection system. Beyond swapping materials, the transition demanded a structural redesign to ensure the packaging could continue to deliver Babybel’s core quality standards, maintaining microbiological safety, preserving taste, and withstanding temperature variations throughout the supply chain.
The brand’s signature red wax shell, critical for product protection and sensory integrity, will remain unchanged.
Bel’s R&D teams conducted extensive test-and-learn programmes, including factory trials and real-world testing, to ensure the new paper wrapper met stringent performance requirements. The innovation has now proven compatible with large-scale production at every Babybel site worldwide.
The commercial rollout began in the United Kingdom, with the United States, Canada, and Northern Europe set to adopt the paper packaging in 2026. A global expansion across all 50 markets will follow in 2027, at which point all Mini Babybel products will use certified paper sourced from sustainably managed forests.
