CRISP PACKET RECYCLING

As you'll have noticed, the world has changed a lot over the past few years - and that includes the recycling landscape. It's now easier to recycle different types of materials rather than crisp packets on their lonesome. And the fantastic news is that you can now conveniently take your empty packets to over 3,500 local supermarkets in the UK! So next time you head down to your local supermarket grab your keys, bag for life and your used crisp packets along with all your other flexible plastics, like bread bags, fruit and veg wrappers and biscuit wrappers which carry the OPRL “Recycle at Store” logo and feel great about recycling them!

At Walkers in 2023 our bags have seen some positive changes. Enhancing our packaging material has enabled us to qualify as officially recyclable under the UK On-Pack Recycling Label Scheme (OPRL). Our potato crisps & snack bags are now recyclable and we are adding new pack labelling across our portfolio which will ensure our packs can be recycled correctly and materials reused.

Find your nearest supermarket drop-off point below.

WE KNOW THERE'S STILL MORE WORK TO BE DONE...

We will continue behind the scenes to work towards on initiatives that ensure our packaging need never become waste. This includes supporting getting crisp packets and flexible plastics in your household recycling by 2026/7.

So, keep up your stellar recycling efforts, and we'll keep our promise to come up with solutions to reduce our impact on the environment.

Happy crunching, crisp munchers.

THE JOURNEY SO FAR

2018

LAUNCH OF WALKERS CRISP PACKET RECYCLE SCHEME WITH TERRACYCLE®

  • 1,600 public drop-off locations
  • Millions of crisp packets were recycled
  • Walkers converted crisp packs into benches, plant pots, football pitches & more!

2023

WALKERS CRISPS OFFICIALLY COMPLIANT FOR RECYCLING AT SUPERMARKETS THROUGH THE ON PACK RECYCLING SCHEME

  • Walkers are committed to make it simple and easy for consumers to recycle packaging appropriately by re-designing our bags to qualify for the OPRL recycling logos across our total portfolio

2023

WALKERS CRISPS OFFICIALLY COMPLIANT FOR RECYCLING AT SUPERMARKETS THROUGH THE ON PACK RECYCLING SCHEME

  • Walkers are committed to make it simple and easy for consumers to recycle packaging appropriately by re-designing our bags to qualify for the OPRL recycling logos across our total portfolio

2027

OUR AMBITION IS TO HAVE CRISP PACKETS BE COLLECTED FROM HOME ALONGSIDE OTHER RECYCLABLE ITEMS SUCH AS PAPER AND TINS

  • Recycling flexible plastics with household recycling will help make sure crisp packets never become waste
  • We are encouraging the government to introduce household collections sooner

FIND YOUR NEAREST CRISP PACKET
RECYCLING LOCATION

FAQS

How do I recycle my empty crisps packets?

Answer:

Simply collect them up, along with other types of flexible plastic, and drop them off at your nearest supermarket collection point. There’s more than 3,500 across the country – all at local supermarkets so you can drop them off for recycling when you pop to the shops. Super easy! Please keep up the great work and keep collecting for recycling so that your crisp packet can have another life.

Are crisp packets the only flexible packaging I can recycle?

Answer:

No, they are not. The great news is that crisp packets don’t have to be on their lonesome anymore. You can collect them together with other types of flexible plastic, such as salad and bread bags and veg and fruit wrappers – and then drop them all off in one go. Which means more packaging gets recycled. Result!

Why can't I put crisp packets and other flexible plastics into my household recycling?

Answer:

There are some local authorities where you can but not many at the moment. This will change over time as government policy enables it and local authorities update their systems. At Walkers, we’d like this change to happen as soon as possible. We think collecting flexible plastics for recycling needs to be as easy as it is for paper, tins and cardboard today.

How can I find out where my nearest local supermarket collection point is?

Answer:

The good news is there are now over 3,500 local supermarket collection points for you to take your flexible plastics. Find your nearest on the map here.

What else is Walkers doing to stop its packaging become waste?

Answer:

  1. Alongside four of the UK’s other largest branded manufacturers; Mars UK, Mondelēz International, Nestlé & Unilever, we’ve launched The Flexible Plastic Fund, a new £1 million fund, to boost flexible plastic recycling in the UK. To read more information about the fund, please watch this video.
  2. Our bags have seen changes too – we’ve made them easier to recycle while also exploring ways to introduce more recycled materials.

Who are OPRL and where can I find out more about understanding how to recycle correctly?

Answer:

OPRL is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, any surpluses being reinvested in OPRL’s activities to promote recycling of packaging. The company launched in March 2009. Please visit below for more information: https://oprl.org.uk/what-we-do/how-the-scheme-works

Fresh Taste
Guaranteed

Founded in 1948 by Henry Walker, we’ve put unbeatable quality at the heart of everything we do for over 70 years…

We harvest the finest potatoes from farms all over Britain – and when they reach our factory, they’re floated out of the truck to keep them in perfect nick.

Our spuds are washed, peeled, sliced and cooked to give them that golden glow, and seasoned whilst warm with our famous flavours!

We’re aiming for potato perfection, so we run taste tests six times a day. And for you to enjoy the great Walkers taste, we use protective packets to lock in freshness, so your crisps taste as good as the day they were cooked… that’s the Walkers guarantee.