While Japanese Kit Kats are often lauded for their wide variety of flavors, such as some aged in Scottish whisky barrels for 180 days, since 2019 Nestle Japan has been working on prioritizing a more environment-conscious approach with new paper packaging in addition to releasing creative flavors.

While the new packaging has been marketed as a creative way to send origami messages, accelerate its efforts to solve the problem of marine plastic waste. From the fall of 2020, almost all Kit Kat products will be packaged in paper, which is expected to reduce the amount of plastic used by approximately 450 tons per year compared to the conventional plastic packaging.

Their latest incarnation is the Kit Kat Mini Maple, a maple-flavored Kit Kat that sees the new paper packaging decorated with animal-themed illustrations and messages about protecting the environment to reach young ages.

The illustrations on the outer bag and the individual packages are original designs created by young illustrator SUGI and informative messages written by Mira Hasegawa their social action group called MIMO which organizes environmental events.

The maple flavor was chosen to reflect on the fact that the amount of sap collected from maple trees (such as sugar maple trees), from which maple syrup is made, is said to be decreasing due to climate change.

Kit Kat Mini Maple will go on sale throughout Japan on April 19th.

In addition, in collaboration with NEUT MAGAZINE, which has a track record of holding many events regarding environmental issues, Nestle will hold an online talk event, "Kitto Zutto For Earth Day," with Mira Hasegawa and other "young influences" to discuss the theme "what we can do for the future. Earth Day". A digest version of the online talk event will be available from April 30th at the following links: