PepsiCo to ban virgin plastic from crisp bags by 2030

PepsiCo‘s ambition is to use only recycled or renewable plastic for all its film packaging in Europe by 2030.

First trials in 2022

The aim is that brands such as Lay’s, Doritos and Cheetos will scrap all non-sustainable plastic by then. The carbon footprint from their film packaging can thus be reduced by 40 per cent.

The first consumer trials with alternative packaging will take place in the course of this year, starting with the Lay’s range in France. This will be followed by tests with the Walkers brand in the UK. The packaging will consist of a mix of recycled plastic and by-products of plants, such as used cooking oil or waste from paper pulp.

Should become the norm

“Flexible packaging recycling should be the norm across Europe. We see a future where our bags will be free of virgin fossil-based plastic. They will be part of a thriving circular economy where flexible packaging is valued and can be recycled as a new packet. We’re investing with our partners to build technological capacity to do that. We now need an appropriate regulatory landscape in place so that packaging never becomes waste”, said PepsiCo Europe CEO Silviu Popovici.

In addition to switching to renewable and recycled materials, PepsiCo has developed the ‘Making Bags Better’ programme. It will focus on a series of investments and innovations to increase the recycling and reuse of flexible plastics in Europe.