Paper Pringles tubes in Tesco

Source: Tesco

The new tubes feature a paper base in place of the former steel one

Pringles has launched recyclable paper tubes through an exclusive tie-up with Tesco.

The new tubes which have hit shelves in the retailer today (8 January) swap the former steel base for a paper one but retain their recyclable plastic lids.

They have also hit shelves at One Stop, which is part of the Tesco Group, and will launch in other retailers towards the end of 2024.

Around 48 million of the recyclable tubes are expected to be sold this year in Tesco alone.

The move has involved an investment of £86m into new technology, following the trial of a steel Pringles can in Italy in 2019 and two paper tubes for the brand in East Anglia Tesco stores in 2020.

This latest iteration had been rigorously tested by packaging experts to ensure the saddle-shaped chips were protected and kept fresh for 15 months, according to Pringles owner Kellanova.

“We know people want to reduce their impact to the planet and it’s our responsibility to improve the recyclability of our packaging,” said Kellanova UK MD Chris Silcock.

“We’ve worked hard to develop and test a recyclable Pringles paper tube and we made significant investment in new technology to enable our factories to produce it.”

Tesco Group sustainability and quality director Claire Lorains added: “The new paper-based Pringles tube from Kellanova demonstrates the tangible environmental opportunities that exist across food packaging that work for customers and the planet.

“We hope to see other suppliers take similar steps to improve packaging across all the products we sell.”

The move forms part of Kellanova’s commitment to make all of its packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.

It comes after Pot Noodle and Mars trialled paper packaging with Tesco in 2023.