Pringles invests £86M in household recyclable paper-based packaging tubes

15 Jan 2024 --- Pringles has launched a new crisp tube made from recycled paper with a paper base, enabling the company to recycle the tubes from home collection. The tube also has a plastic lid that can also be recycled.

The eco-packaging has been tested by the company’s packaging experts to make sure it protects the saddle-shaped chips and keeps them fresh for 15 months as the previously used can. 

The new packaging landed exclusively in Tesco stores and online last week before being rolled out to other supermarkets later this year. The tubes are also available in One Stop stores, part of the Tesco Group. Around 48 million recyclable Pringles tubes will be sold in Tesco in the first year alone. 

The move, which has involved an investment of £86 million (US$110 million) in new technology, follows the trial of a steel can in Italy in 2019 and a paper tube in the UK in 2020. 

Chris Silcock, UK managing director at Kellanova, the parent company of Pringles, says: “We know people want to reduce their impact on the planet and it’s our responsibility to improve the recyclability of our packaging. We’ve worked hard to develop and test a recyclable Pringles paper tube and we made significant investment in new technology to enable our factories to produce it.”

“Not only is it widely recyclable, but it keeps the chips fresh and tasty and protects them from breaking, which helps to reduce food waste.”

Boosting recyclability 
Claire Lorains, Tesco’s Group sustainability and quality director, comments: “We want to make it even easier for our customers to recycle, so we are excited to bring them a product they love in a more sustainable way. Across our own brand products, where we can’t remove packaging, we work to ensure it is recyclable and actively encourage our branded suppliers to do the same.”

“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. We hope to see other suppliers take similar steps to improve packaging across all the products we sell.” 

Paul Sanderson, CEO of the Recycling Association, adds that much R&D was needed to achieve a fully paper-based tube with a paper end that also keeps the Pringles crisps fresh. “It is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when manufacturers decide they want to create packaging that is easy for the consumer to recycle, and I hope others follow Pringles’ example to help us all get closer to a circular economy.”

The introduction of the recyclable Pringles tube made from 90% paper is a step toward Kellanova’s commitment to making all its packaging recyclable, reusable and compostable by 2025.

Edited by Natalie Schwertheim