Walkers launches new packaging made from 50% recycled plastic

        Walkers has announced a transformation for its Sunbites range with the launch of new packaging made from recycled plastic, with the entire range now classed as non-HFSS. The new packaging is made from 50% recycled plastic, sourced using a mass balance approach, which means purchasing and using enough mass balance recycled plastic material to eliminate 200 tonnes of fossil-based plastic in Sunbites packaging by the end of 2025.

        This is the latest in a series of packaging innovations for Walkers, which recently launched a new paper outer packaging for the entire Walkers Baked range and a paperboard design for the Walkers 20-bag multipack. The launch is part of PepsiCo Positive (pep+), the health and sustainability initiative of Walkers’ parent company, which includes an ambition to eliminate virgin fossil-based plastics in crisps and snack bags in Europe by 2030.

        Sunbites joins Walkers’ line-up of non-HFSS favourites including 45% Less Salt, Baked, Doritos Dippers and PopWorks, reinforcing the brand’s leadership in developing healthier, tastier snacks for people across the UK.

        Last year, Walkers set a target for snacks that were non-HFSS, or sold in portions under 100 calories, to account for 50% of its sales by 2025. Eighteen months later, Walkers is more than halfway to that goal, with 30% of the snack brand’s sales coming from healthier snacks.

        Gareth Callan, Head of Sustainable Packaging at PepsiCo UK, said: “The transformation of Sunbites signals our ongoing commitment to deliver products that are better for people and the planet. We are proud of the progress we have made so far in reducing our use of fossil-based plastics and meeting the growing demand for healthier snacking options, without sacrificing taste. We are working hard to reinvent our packaging. To help us do this at scale, we urge the UK government to recognise the role that chemical recycling and other emerging mechanical technologies can play in creating demand for food contact soft plastics – including by amending the Plastic Packaging Tax to stimulate a circular economy for packaging in the UK.”

        As PepsiCo works towards these ambitious targets, it believes that the expansion of food contact recycling technologies (such as chemical recycling) and associated recycling infrastructure plays a key role in developing capacity to meet growing demand, while supporting a circular economy for packaging used in the UK food manufacturing industry.