PepsiCo has announced to trial new paper-based outer packaging for its Walkers Baked multipacks, in a first for savoury snacks flexible packaging in the UK.
The trial pack is widely recyclable and will replace plastic outer wrapping on more than 300,000 six-pack multipacks of two popular Walkers Baked flavours – Sea Salt and Cheese and Onion.
The company stated, “It’s our second major sustainable packaging trial with Tesco in recent months. Ahead of the Baked pilot, we rolled out new cardboard outer packaging for millions of Walkers 22- and 24- bag multipacks to major supermarkets in the UK following a successful trial with Tesco. This new and improved cardboard packaging will reduce the amount of virgin plastic we use in our supply chain annually.”
Rachael Smith, Senior Marketing Manager at Walkers 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, PepsiCo UK and Ireland said, “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.”
The trial marks another step in our journey towards eliminating virgin fossil-based plastic from our crisp and snack bags across Europe by 2030, which is part of pep+, our global health and sustainability transformation plan.