The switch to paper wrappers for our caramels!

Recently we made the switch from plastic (cellophane) sheets to wrap our caramels to a paper wrapper. And there are several important reasons why we made the change, so please read on to find out why.

When I started experimenting with recipes for Sugar Love, it all began with the caramel recipe. I wanted something with a soft bite, not too sticky and just deliciously rich – something to deserve the name of Sugar Love! And after many batches, we settled on our beloved recipe that we still use today after six years.

I began by rolling our individual caramels in cellophane (a type of plastic) wrap. Partially I used this material because it’s what I was used to, it’s what the chocolatier that I studied under had used. I also used it because it was cheap and I was just starting the company so every dime mattered. The main reason though, was that it was see-through and additions like lavender and smoked salt were clear for customers to see. It was a way for the consumer to experience the flavor before actually tasting the goodies.

This past year, with extreme summer heats now that we’re outside at farmer’s markets, the caramels and other products are exposed to a greater temperature for a longer period of time. The plastic wrappers proved to get too sticky with the temperature increase. A great reason to switch!

And the most important reason for me, the reduction of our footprint! I try to run a kitchen that is as zero footprint as possible (we recycle and compost as much as possible), so why wouldn’t our most used packaging item also reflect this sensibility? While we have not eliminated plastics from all of our packaging quite yet, this is a big step for us as each bag of caramels used to come with five to eight pieces of plastic wrap. After all, while the waxed paper is not recyclable or compostable, it can decompose easier.

I am sad that customers can no longer see the inclusions that we have with our caramels, from the popular salted caramels that feature big flakes of Cyprus salt to lavender caramels that have fragrant morsels of French lavender. However, the caramels still have these amazing flavors and so I’m sure customers will still be hooked once they taste these caramels from Sugar Love!