Using less packaging
Over the last five years we have reduced the amount of plastic used to make our Tropicana and Copella bottles by 18%, and are using 4% less film to make a Walkers crisp packet. Working with the corrugate case supplier, SCA Packaging, our Quaker Oats facility at Cupar has reduced the amount of corrugate used by 30% over 5 years by moving to cases with open tops and reduced sides rather than traditional fully-enclosing cases.
By 2010 we hope to make our Walkers Crisps and snacks packaging 10% lighter, using fewer resources and less energy to produce than before. Walkers is investigating reducing the seal depth of its standard crisp bag, which could save a further 2,800 tonnes of CO2e by the end of 2009. We are working with several of our retail customers to measure and reduce our packaging. In 2008 Quaker will move to using recycled cardboard in its boxes.
Investing in packaging research
We are using life-cycle assesments and internal metrics and scorecards to identify optimal packaging choices. We have a number of specific research projects underway, including:
- Exploring the potential use of recycled industrial waste plastic film in our multi-pack crisp packets. This would mean that we are reducing the amount of (non-renewable) fossil fuels that we are depleting. We hope to conduct a trial later this year, with potential application in 2008/9.
- Undertaking a study into a number of new biodegradable packaging films to assess their compatibility with existing or future infrastructure.
- Continuing trials looking at how different forms of crisp packaging degrade when dropped as litter. These are comparing the performance of our current crisp packaging against a range of bio-degradable films.
