Chip brand Pringles is making a big change to its packaging in England, finally updating its iconic tubes to make them recyclable.
While fans of the chips have long associated the brand with its innovative tubular containers, what they have not been able to do, until now, is throw those tubular containers in the recycling bin once they are empty. That's because the tubes are made with both cardboard and metal. Even though the materials themselves are 50% recycled, once they are combined into one product, they are not recyclable, making them "a large contributor to landfill waste."
Now, a partnership with British grocery store chain Tesco has led to an updated design that is all cardboard and fully recyclable. (The cap will still be made out of plastic, but since it is not permanently attached to the tube, it can be recycled separately.)
Paper Tube Pringles! ♻️ At Tesco @Pringles_UK #pringles #crisps #recycle #recyclablepackaging #recyclable #new #wellthisisnew pic.twitter.com/ckQiTSNwmb
— Well This Is New (@All_Things_New_) February 14, 2024
The new recyclable tubes will, for the time being, be sold exclusively at Tesco and One Stop, which is owned by Tesco. However, they are expected to hit shelves in other retailers by the end of the year.
Management at Kellanova, the owner of the Pringles brand, cited public pressure as its motivation for making the change. Kellanova has said it intends to make all its products' packaging recyclable, reusable, or compostable by 2025.
"We know people want to reduce their impact to the planet and it's our responsibility to improve the recyclability of our packaging," said Chris Silcock, managing director of Kellanova UK.
Indeed, consumers are demanding more than ever that packaging and products contribute as little environmental harm as possible.
Ketchup maker Heinz made a similar change recently, redesigning its plastic bottle cap to eliminate the use of multiple different types of plastic, making the caps fully recyclable.
Kellanova reportedly invested £86 million (around $109 million) into the development of the new cardboard tubes. It expects 48 million of them to be sold this year at Tesco alone.
"The new paper-based Pringles tube from Kellanova demonstrates the tangible environmental opportunities that exist across food packaging that work for customers and the planet," said Claire Lorains, Tesco group sustainability and quality director. "We hope to see other suppliers take similar steps to improve packaging across all the products we sell."
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