A Big Change Is Coming To Your Skittles Bag

Skittles have gone through a ton of changes over the years. The candy, which originated in England in 1974, notably switched its lime flavor to green apple and has evolved to include sour varieties, tropical flavors, and much more (via Snack History). Progress continues to march on, and now, this time-tested candy has a new feature that anyone can get behind.

According to PR Newswire, Mars Wrigley, the makers of Skittles, announced a partnership with Danimer Scientific to start producing biodegradable bags for the candy. This packaging, produced from fermented plant oil, guarantees to break down when composted, and poses a minimum threat to the oceans and earth. These bags strive to address the issue of littering, especially in areas that lack proper recycling facilities. With any luck, we should see these new bags on store shelves sometime at the end of 2021 or the beginning of 2022. These products exclusively launch in the U.S., but hopefully their environmental impact can inspire other countries to adopt similar style of packaging for their snacks.

Skittles has encouraged us to save the environment multiple times through its history. According to Marketing Dive, the candy encouraged Canadian Skittles fans to #GIVEaDAM back in 2018 and donated a portion of its revenue to the David Suzuki Foundation, an ecological preservation foundation based in Canada that helps protect beavers and their natural habitats from damage caused by humans. Mars Wrigley also makes sure to use sustainable palm oil when making the candies, leading to less deforestation around the world in search of this resource (via CBC). With this positive track record, Skittles has found itself in a position to do a lot of good by making the switch to the new bags.

If the new packaging format Skittles will be turning to has you intrigued, you just need to hold out for a few more months until you can get your hands on the biodegradable bags. If you feel suspicious about the change, you have to give the new packaging a shot when it arrives on store shelves. Fans most likely won't even notice the difference and can feel confident doing a bit of environmental good when enjoying a pack of Skittles.