Two Top Brands Upgrade To Sustainable Packaging For 2024
2024 has just begun and already businesses are changing their packaging to ensure that they can meet their environmental objectives and match the expectations of customers. Two major brands are currently leading this change.
Pringles
Pringles have recently launched new recyclable tubes in an exclusive collaboration with British supermarket Tesco. The tube, which is already available on shop shelves, features a paper base in replacement of the previous metal design. As such, every material including the plastic lid is now recyclable. Previously, customers who were keen to help the environment needed to recycle their tubes by taking them to collection points known as “Bring Banks."
This is a huge leap forward for the brand after being singled out by The Recycling Association in 2017 for low levels of recyclability.
The company now expects to sell 48 million paper tubes from Tesco alone this year and the new style of container will be rolled out to other stores towards the end of 2024.
The new packaging is also intended to provide key customer benefits, keeping the crisps fresh and protecting them from breaking.
The switch required an £86m investment in new technology by the company.
Flora
Pringles isn’t the only brand making a more green-friendly packaging choice in 2024. Flora has also unveiled plastic-free paper tubs for their plant-based products. Parent company Upfield collaborated with Footprint to produce the new packaging which is both oil-proof and waterproof. The containers are part of an ambitious strategy aimed at replacing as many as two billion plastic tubs by 2030, combatting more than 25,000 tonnes of plastic waste annually. Overall, Upfield is aiming to reduce plastic usage across all its brands by 80%.
According to the brand, it took more than four years to develop and produce the new type of container. Upfield also expects the tubs to be fully home-compostable by 2025.
The brands follow in the footsteps of other companies that have switched to sustainable packaging including Quality Street which introduced paper wrapping for their sweets in 2022.
Our Thoughts
The actions of these two brands demonstrates the importance of thinking in terms of sustainability when choosing packaging for new and existing products.
Of course, it’s not just food companies that can explore sustainable forms of packaging. Many beauty companies are switching to aluminium packaging. Reusable and easy to recycle, aluminium packaging is the perfect choice for water-based products including creams and ointments.
Reusable, returnable and recyclable packaging products are readily available for businesses eager to take the next step towards a greener future.
The right choice can be a clear sign to customers that any business is committed to their unique environmental objectives.
However, if you do switch to sustainable packaging for products, it’s important to make sure that your brand identity remains intact. For instance, the new Pringles packaging shows the old design being ripped away, revealing the new style underneath.
