PepsiCo is describing its trial of paper-based and recyclable outer packaging for its Walkers brand of crisps as a first for savoury snacks flexible packaging in the UK.
The original plastic outer wrapping is being replaced with recyclable cardboard on more than 300,000 six-pack multipacks of two popular Walkers Crisps Baked flavours – Sea Salt and Cheese and Onion.
Walkers senor marketing manger, Rachael Smith said: “With this latest trial, people can buy a selection of Walkers Baked multipacks in paper-based outer packaging that can be easily and widely recycled with regular recycling at home. Feedback is so important in helping us deliver the best possible experience for consumers, and we can’t wait to hear people’s thoughts when the packs land in stores.”
Gareth Callan, packaging sustainability lead of Pepsico UK & Ireland added: “We’re always exploring new packaging solutions that can help us reduce virgin fossil plastic use, in pursuit of our broader sustainable packaging goals. After more than two years in development, we’re looking forward to testing this paper-based outer material with our consumers to better assess the role it could play in our future packaging portfolio.”
PepsiCo invested GBP14m (US$16.66m) to improve food packaging sustainability in October last year. The company initially began a trial with UK supermarket Tesco and rolled out new cardboard outer packaging for millions of Walkers crisps in 22 and 24-bag multipacks ahead of the Baked pilot.
The outer cardboard packaging was expected to remove 250t of virgin plastic from its supply chain a year and tied in with Pepsico’s wider global health and sustainability transformation plan.
