Trying to recycle a Pringles tube has always been the stuff of nightmares, as it’s a smorgasbord of mixed materials—there’s a metal base, a foil-plastered cardboard tube, and, of course, the plastic cap. It can’t be done, but, hey, maybe you can stuff some plastic bags in there and call it an eco-evil dispenser?
Well, those days of trying to repurpose it into an adorably efficient cookie jar might be long gone, as Pringles is now trialing a recyclable paper tube as part of a partnership with the UK retailer Tesco. The packaging, made from recycled paper, will also feature two different toppers during the trial, one made of paper, and another with plastic.
According to the brand, they’ve been hard at work for the past year trying to develop a tube that would be 100% recyclable and is part of a wider effort by their parent company Kellogg to have sustainable packaging across the board by 2025. If the Tesco trial is a winner with UK consumers, Pringles will expand the use of the paper tube across Europe.
“We are eager to play our part and reduce our impact on the planet,” said vice-president of Pringles, Miranda Prins, in a press release. ”And, Pringles fans expect that of us too. So, we’ve worked hard to come up with this new can, which is widely recyclable and keeps our chips fresh and tasty and protects them from breaking up – which helps to reduce food waste.”
“The important thing for us now is getting the trial up and running with Tesco and collecting all the data and consumer feedback,” she added. “At this stage, it is too early to say whether we’ll roll out this new paper tube, however, the information we collect will help us understand if people like it and if it works on the supermarket shelf and at home. This trial will help us create the Pringles can of the future.”
No word yet on whether or not the new Rick and Morty Pickle Rick flavor will come in a recyclable can, but we’ll keep you posted.
