Crispgate: Walkers announces new recycling scheme for crisp packets
Walkers has announced a new recycling scheme two weeks after Royal Mail asked anti-plastic campaigners to stop posting empty crisp packets without envelopes.
From December fans of the savoury snack company can post used packets in envelopes free of charge, directly to a recycling company. All brands of crisp packets will be accepted as part of the deal.
People had been posting the packets back to Walkers in protest that they were not recyclable.
Through a new agreement with recycling firm Terracycle, packets will now be developed into plastic items such as benches, watering cans and plant pots.
People can send their crisp packets in a box or envelope and post them to Terracycle free of charge or drop off their packets at one of hundreds of public access collection points around the country, Walkers said.
It claimed it had been in discussions with the US-based recycling business since January, pre-dating the free-post campaign by several months.
It is aiming to have all packaging 100 per cent recyclable and biodegradable by 2025.
The food manufacturer described the partnership as "the UK's first nationwide recycling scheme for crisp packets".
Royal Mail previously asked protestors to stop sending crisp packets through the post without envelopes (Source: Getty)
Campaigning platform 38 Degrees criticised the crisps company over the potential environmental damage of its packaging, calling for it to use a non-plastic alternative.
More than 300,000 people signed an online petition calling for Walkers to develop an eco-friendly crisp packet, while hundreds sent crisp packets through Royal Mail post boxes.
Crisp packets are typically made from plastic and aluminium because of the high fat content of their product, which means they can turn stale when exposed to oxygen.
“We share people’s concerns about the amount of plastic in our environment and are working on a number of both short and long-term solutions to reduce the impact of our packaging,” said Ian Ellington, general manager of PepsiCo UK, Walkers’ parent company.
Crisps remain one of the most popular snacks in the country (Source: Getty)
“We hope people will embrace this idea and join us in ensuring crisp packets are recycled,” he added.
38 Degrees also greeted the news positively, after lead campaigner Geraint Ashcroft met with Duncan Gordon from Walkers owner Pepsico in Augus.
"It's proof that public pressure can shift big companies to do more to prevent waste," said executive director David Babbs.
"The public will be watching to make sure that the new recycling scheme isn't just a PR stunt," he added.