Environmental protection is on the minds of millions, and food companies aren’t the exception. Packaging is an obvious choice.
Within the next year and a half, Walkers, the largest potato chip manufacturer in the UK, has plans to unveil packaging created with recycled potato peelings. According to UK publication, the Romsey Advertiser, the company is looking at a number of ways of making more environmentally friendly packaging. The latest – potato peels:
The development of crisp bags made out of cellulose from wood pulp had created “crackly” bags that would potentially put off consumers but the company is looking at using old peelings for packaging.
Mr Evans told BBC Radio 4′s Today programme: “More interestingly, imagine making it (a crisp packet) out of potato peelings.
“In reality, if you think about starch – and you know how sticky starch is – if you could mass it together you could create a layer of starch and stabilise that.
“We could use the peelings we have, that today go to animal feed and other recycling uses, to be turned into a crisp packets.” – Romsey Advertiser
This idea comes on the heels of an attempt by potato chip manufacturer Frito Lay to offer 100% compostable bags for its SunChips brand. The new packaging was scrapped after complaints from customers about the loud, crackly bags. Frito Lay continues to use the eco-friendly packaging on SunChips Original, but went back to its quieter, traditional—and non-compostable–chip bag for the rest of its flavors while they go back to the drawing board.
Kudos to Walkers for their fresh (and recycled) idea. They plan to roll out the new packaging on some of their smaller brands within the next 18 months. It will be interesting to see if any U.S.-based companies follow their lead—and if eco-friendly packaging makes a difference to the buying public.
