Mars’ Science-Led Approach to Sustainability

"It’s possible to do well and do good," says Nici Bush, Chief Innovation, Science and Technology Officer at Mars. It's a statement that encapsulates the company's approach to sustainability – not as a separate initiative but as an integral part of its business operations.

From its founding in 1911, Mars has grown into a global powerhouse with more than 400 sites and 3,000 veterinary hospitals worldwide. The family-owned company refers to its 150,000 employees as Associates because as Nici puts it: “At Mars we’re more than employees; we’re Associates with a sense of responsibility to our business.” 

While many recognise Mars for its iconic chocolate brands – including M&M’s®, Twix®, and Snickers® – few realise that the company's diverse portfolio spans food, snacking and petcare, with nearly half of its workforce now in veterinary services.

Meet Nici Bush

Nici’s career at Mars spans three decades and she was appointed as the company’s Chief Innovation, Science and Technology Officer in 2022. In this role Nici has oversight for R&D, Supply and Commercial and sits on the global Mars Leadership team. She brings an exceptional breadth of experience to her role, having worked in all Mars business segments, multiple business areas and numerous countries. 

"I've been a plant manager and a general manager responsible for local, regional, and global operations," she explains. "When I'm making decisions with the Mars leadership Team, I draw on my depth and breadth of experience to think how our decisions may impact the work of Associates in our factories, offices and R&D facilities."

This practical perspective is crucial when implementing sustainability initiatives across a company of Mars' scale and complexity. Nici's scientific background – she holds a chemistry degree from Cambridge University – combined with her executive coaching qualification from Georgetown University, gives her a unique vantage point.

For Nici, sustainability is not just a corporate goal but a way of doing business. Despite her role not being considered a traditional ‘green job’, sustainability is at the heart of everything she and her teams do on a daily basis.

“At Mars, sustainability is more than a goal – it’s a responsibility and fundamental to how we do business,” Nici explains.

The past, present and future of sustainability at Mars

The foundation of Mars' sustainability approach dates back decades and is embedded in the company's Five Principles, particularly "Efficiency" – using resources to the full and wasting nothing. This philosophy evolved into more structured commitments with the launch of the multi-billion dollar Sustainable in a Generation plan in 2017, followed by a comprehensive net zero roadmap in 2023.

"We’re reducing our environmental impacts in line with what science says is needed to keep our planet healthy,” Nici explains. “We’re on track to cut all Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 50% by 2030, with a pathway to net zero by 2050,"

What makes these targets credible is that Mars has aligned them with the Science-Based Targets Initiative, requiring specific interim goals rather than distant aspirations. The company has also built sustainability into executive compensation, tying 20% of bonuses for the top 1,700 Associates and 40% for the top 400 to sustainability performance.

The results speak for themselves – between 2015 and 2023, Mars reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 16% across its full value chain against its 2015 baseline, while growing the business more than 60%.

"That's given us a lot of confidence both internally and externally that it's not a choice – it’s possible to do well and do good," Nici notes.

Nici’s own sustainability journey began in earnest in 2009 when, as part of the global chocolate leadership team overseeing 28 factories worldwide, she led an initiative to achieve zero waste to landfill – a target that Mars continues to maintain today.

Climate smart agriculture: Addressing the biggest impact

With agriculture and land use change accounting for 65% of Mars' carbon footprint, the company has made climate smart agriculture a focus. Part of this strategy is regenerative agriculture, a subset of climate smart agriculture, which encompasses everything from farming practices to logistics.

Rice is an ingredient used in many of Mars products, from Ben's Original™ - one of the world’s largest rice brands - to its pet food products including Royal Canin® and Pedigree®. Rice cultivation traditionally requires fields to be completely submerged in water, a practice that generates significant methane emissions.

"Traditional rice production uses approximately 40% of the world’s irrigation water and accounts for up to 10% of global methane emissions," Nici reveals. "The potential to have a positive impact is significant."

Working with the University of California Davis and the University of Arkansas for more than a decade, Mars invested in research to make rice farming more sustainable by reducing irrigation water, GHG emissions and increasing yields. Alternate wetting and drying is a climate smart agricultural practice that can reduce GHG emissions by up to 40% and water usage by up to 30%. The key to scaling this and driving impact has been supporting farmers to transition to climate smart practices.

"The best way for a farmer to gain knowledge is through another farmer," Nici says. "We were fortunate to work with a pioneering farmer in Arkansas who helped demonstrate to other farmers that you can get fantastic results when using sustainable rice growing practices. "

Another significant climate smart initiative is the company’s "Moo’ving Dairy Forward" programme addressing dairy's position as the second-largest greenhouse gas contributor in Mars' snacking segment. A cornerstone of this initiative is the Farmer Forward Program in partnership with Fonterra - a US$27m investment over five years empowering dairy farmers to embrace climate smart practices. Through the programme Mars expects to reduce Scope 3 emissions by 150,000 tons by 2030.

"It's about incentivising farmers to try something different," Nici explains. "By providing farmers with the resources, technology and incentives to reduce emissions, we’re demonstrating leadership in sustainable sourcing and proving that progress is possible through collaboration."

Balancing objectives in product reformulation

Reformulating products to reduce environmental impact can be challenging. For Mars' formulators in Petcare, this means balancing nutritional requirements, palatability, digestibility, market availability, cost – and now sustainability.

"I'm always impressed by how our formulators balance so many constraints," Nici says. "There are so many variables to manage and now we also include the sustainability impact."

Mars’ reformulation approach takes two paths – optimising current materials and exploring novel ingredients for the future. 

Formulators in ROYAL CANIN® have reduced rice usage in its formulas because rice has a higher impact on carbon emissions compared to other cereals – while ensuring that nutritional integrity is maintained. For future formulations, Mars is researching alternative protein sources such as insects and microalgae. However, these alternatives must clear many hurdles before reaching products.

"Our Petcare scientists are collaborating with world-leading experts to develop novel ingredients. Before we can add them to our pet food products we must ensure it’s safe and tastes great for our pets," Nici explains.

Packaging innovation

Packaging waste is a global problem and Mars is investing hundreds of millions of dollars to redesign 12,000 packaging components. The company’s strategy includes eliminating unnecessary packaging and redesigning its packaging for reuse, recycling or composting. 

Paper packaging can be a viable alternative to plastic in some markets. Mars launched paper packaging for its Snickers® and Mars® bars in Australia that are recyclable through local curbside recycling and generated unexpected consumer excitement.

"We thought that our consumers expected us to move to sustainable packaging and they wouldn't be particularly excited by it," Nici reveals. "But actually, the Australian launch created a lot of excitement, particularly with our customers."

There are many technical challenges to overcome, as packaging serves multiple functions beyond sustainability – from food safety and barrier protection to consumer communication and structural support. Mars is partnering and exploring innovative materials like Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA).

“PHA is produced through natural fermentation processes using plant oils such as soy and canola. It is compostable and biodegrades in both soil and marine environments," Nici explains. "We recently trialled a commercially compostable Skittles® pack in the U.S. using PHA, which has won a Silver Award for Technical Innovation from the Flexible Packaging Association."

Mars has also eliminated problematic materials, removing 99% of PVC from its packaging and transitioning to more recyclable alternatives like polypropylene. Currently, 61% of Mars packaging is designed for circularity, with a goal of reaching 100%.

However, ensuring actual recycling occurs requires considering regional infrastructure variations and consumer behaviour. For smaller items like chocolate bars, compostability may be more practical than recyclability.

"In regions where recycling infrastructure isn’t in place, compostable packaging for small packs is a great solution," Nici says.

Beyond the technical challenges, what sustains Mars' sustainability efforts is a deep sense of purpose among its teams. While the solutions may take years to develop, the motivation remains strong.

"What's really engaging is that some of these challenges are tough, technically tough, but our Associates are committed and motivated knowing that what we are doing is right for our consumers and for the planet," Nici concludes. 

"We're the first generation that is aware of our impact on the planet, and we have the responsibility to do something about it."

To read the full article in the magazine, click HERE.

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