Kellogg’s, in partnership with Tesco, have announced that it will trial paper liners within cereal boxes in a select number of stores from January 2022.
The outer card packaging of the Kellogg’s cereal boxes is already recyclable, however, the plastic inner liner which contains the cereal is not accepted in curbside recycling. By introducing a paper liner to contain the cereal within the box, the entire packaging material will be paper-based, allowing for full recyclability.
Paper is one of the most recycled products in the world and epitomises the circular economy model of make, use, recycle and reuse. In 2020, a total of 56 million tonnes of paper was collected and recycled in Europe – a recycling rate of 74%. This is approaching the estimated practical maximum of 78%.1
For paper packaging, the recycling rate is even higher, with 83% of paper and cardboard packaging being recycled in Europe. Paper is the most recycled packaging material, followed by metal (80%), glass (75%) and plastic (42%).2
The innovative new packaging, developed by Kellogg’s packaging technologists, will be suitable for the filling and sealing process, just like the plastic liner, and will keep the food goods safe for transporting to retailers. Kellogg’s added that it was important for the paper liner to keep the cereal fresh and to maintain a 12-month shelf life.
The move to paper liners is part of Kellogg’s Wellbeing Manifesto, which was launched in May 2021. The new manifesto is a 10 year commitment from the company to improve its food packaging to be better for the environment, customers and the community.
The results of the trial will determine how it adapts the packaging moving forward, whether that be the rollout of fully paper-based packaging or making the plastic liners recyclable at the curbside, similar to countries like Ireland or Belgium.
Managing director at Kellogg UK and Ireland, Chris Silcock, comments: “We know people want to do more to help the planet and that’s why we are working hard towards meeting our commitment of all Kellogg’s packaging being reusable, recyclable or compostable by the end of 2025.
“This important trial of fully paper cereal packaging ensures we have explored all our options.
Tesco grocery director, David Beardmore, adds: “We are committed to working with our suppliers to remove, reduce, reuse and recycle packaging, particularly plastic.
“It’s great to see that Kellogg’s is trialling a paper cereal bag in our stores – our customers will be pleased that they can easily recycle the bag at home.
“We call on suppliers to test and roll out actions like this; using as little material as possible and making sure that necessary packaging is easy to recycle.”
This isn’t the first time that Kellogg’s and Tesco have worked together with sustainable initiatives. In late 2020, Tesco, Kellogg’s, and the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE UK) announced a five-month trial to collect cartons at in-store recycling points, which provided a short-term recycling solution for the tube packaging of Pringles, a Kellogg brand.
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