Energy Efficiency, GHG Emissions  -  January 26, 2022

PepsiCo Europe to Lower GHG with Renewable Plastic

PepsiCo Europe announced that by 2030 it plans to eliminate virgin fossil-based plastic in all its crisp and chip bags, which could lower GHG by an estimated 40% per ton of packaging material by switching to fossil-free material.

The goal will apply to brands including Walkers, Doritos, and Lay’s and will be delivered by using 100% recycled or renewable plastic in its packets. The consumer trials of the packaging will begin in European markets in 2022, starting with renewable plastic in a Lay’s range in France in the first half of the year. Later in 2022, a range from the Walkers brand in the UK will trial recycled content. 

The recycled content in the packs will be derived from previously used plastic and the renewable content will come from by-products of plants such as used cooking oil or waste from paper pulp. 

“Flexible packaging recycling should be the norm across Europe,” said Silviu Popovici, Chief Executive Officer, PepsiCo Europe in a statement. “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.”

PepsiCo uses flexible plastic for its snack packaging because the soft wrapping used to make its crisp and chip bags is lightweight and has a low carbon footprint. 

PepsiCo has also been working to reduce unnecessary packaging across its individual bags and multipacks as part of its commitment to a 50% reduction in virgin plastic per serving by 2030.