As the countdown to Christmas begins, Cadbury is giving its festive family favourites - Roses and Heroes - a green makeover. The confectionery company is breaking with tradition and switching its round metal tins for square, recyclable cardboard boxes.

The environmentally friendly packaging will be trialled in Tesco stores this Christmas and depending on consumer feedback, it will be rolled out more widely in the future.

The move, part of Cadbury's Purple Goes Green environmental strategy, includes a pledge to reduce packaging of seasonal and gifting products by 25% by 2010. Replacing tins with 100% sustainably sourced cardboard achieves a 45% weight reduction and saves 201 tonnes of steel as a result.

Sales of Roses and Heroes tins have helped Cadbury become the market leader in Christmas confectionery over the years. The company hopes that tapping into consumer demand for sustainable packaging will be a further boost to sales. As well as satisfying the desire for eco-friendly gifts, consumer testing by Cadbury has shown that the square boxes are felt to be more practical and easier to wrap without revealing the present inside.

Cadbury is also implementing an average 32% packaging reduction across its selection box range, saving the equivalent of 1,352 trees. This saving equates to approximately 400 tonnes of cardboard "“ the equivalent of 73 African elephants. Cadbury will also introduce a 28% average packaging reduction on tree decorations which will result in over 25 tonnes of packaging saved per year.

Jo Grice, Head of Marketing Giving and Seasonal for Cadbury said: "We know from our research that many of our consumers are dreaming of a green, not white, Christmas this year. Introducing an environmental twist on a festive favourite "“ Roses and Heroes tins "“ will help us to meet shoppers’ ethical concerns whilst still delivering those magical moments of pleasure this Christmas. And they are far easier to wrap!"

"Reducing the packaging across many of our popular ranges such as selection packs and tree decorations is our way of giving the planet a gift this Christmas and will help us meet our environmental commitments."

Mark Barthel from WRAP said: "We are very encouraged to see that Cadbury is continuing to innovate and reduce the packaging across its product ranges. Over the festive season, when the amount of waste sent to landfill increases significantly, it’s good to see Cadbury and Tesco working together to help consumers and the environment."

Consumers around the world will also be able to benefit from reduced packaging this Christmas. In Poland, one of Cadbury’s key Christmas markets, festive wrapping will be reduced by more than half (51%) across the Wedel range of chocolate.

For further information please contact:
Depali Sanghvi, Lisa Malyon or Lauren Goddard at Blue Rubicon on +44 (0) 207 260 2700 or Cadbury’s Press Office on +44 (0)1895 615011.

Photography and samples are also available upon request.

About Purple Goes Green
Cadbury's 'Purple Goes Green' programme, launched in June 2007, leading the food manufacturing sector in committing to a 50% absolute reduction in carbon emissions by 2020, as well as setting targets for packaging and water-use reduction. For more information visit: www.dearcadbury.com

About Cadbury plc
Cadbury plc is a leading global confectionery company with an outstanding portfolio of chocolate, gum and candy brands. It has number one or number two positions in over 20 of the world's 50 largest confectionery markets. Cadbury also has the largest and most broadly spread emerging markets business of any confectionery company. With origins stretching back nearly 200 years, Cadbury's brands include many global, regional and local favourites including Cadbury, Creme Egg, Flake and Green & Black's in chocolate; Trident, Clorets, Dentyne, Hollywood, Bubbaloo and Stimorol in gum; and Halls, Cadbury Eclairs and The Natural Confectionery Company in candy. For more information visit www.cadbury.com

About Cadbury plc
Cadbury plc is a leading global confectionery company with an outstanding portfolio of chocolate, gum and candy brands. It has number one or number two positions in over 20 of the world's 50 largest confectionery markets. Cadbury also has the largest and most broadly spread emerging markets business of any confectionery company. With origins stretching back nearly 200 years, Cadbury's brands include many global, regional and local favourites including Cadbury, Creme Egg, Flake and Green & Black's in chocolate; Trident, Clorets, Dentyne, Hollywood, Bubbaloo and Stimorol in gum; and Halls, Cadbury Eclairs and The Natural Confectionery Company in candy. For more information visit www.cadbury.com

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