Wrapping Up Packaging
Consumers tell us through our own surveys that packaging is the most important issue for them - or to be more precise, over-packaging. Many of us are recycling at home as well as at work, so here are the facts:
Our cereal and snack boxes are fully recyclable and should be collected by most kerbside recycling schemes and local authority recycling sites.
Our cereal bags and our snack wrappers are not collected for recycling in most parts of the UK. However, the cereal bags can be recycled at many local authority recycling centers and at larger supermarkets with carrier bags.
We are constantly striving to improve the sustainability of our packaging and take a “total” environmental view when making decisions. For the past 100 years, we've reduced our packaging wherever we can without compromising the standards our customers expect. We’ve done this to reduce both our costs and our environmental impacts. We take a holistic view of our packaging, it must:
Get your food to you in the best possible condition.
Keep food safe, fresh.
Allow food to be transported, displayed and stored in the best way possible.
Be easy to store and use at home.
Give you all the legal and other necessary information you need.
Protect the food against damage.
Allow easy and efficient transport.
The last point is very important. If we package our food in a way that allows it to get damaged, it's possible the food will be thrown away.
Our boxes are made from 80% recycled card fibre
Is our packaging recyclable?
Kellogg’s was one of the first UK businesses to sign up to the new On-Pack Recycling Label Scheme (OPRL) introduced in 2009.
The scheme was launched by British Retail Consortium (BRC) with support from WRAP and the new labels are now on more than 50,000 products. Consumer research by WRAP tells us the new labels are starting to give consumers the consistent information that they need.
Find out where you can recycle now, this excellent website tells you all about local recycling, and includes contacts at your council. Just enter your postcode to find out what you can recycle and where.
What is our packaging made of?
Our very first cereal packet over a century ago was made of recycled card, and it still is today. But let's take a closer look at the materials we use and when we can recycle these.
Our cereal and snack boxes
Our priority is to use recycled card whenever we can. The vast majority of our card is 88% recycled with a small amount of virgin added to reduce bulk.
Our cereal bags and snacks wrappers
Any of our packaging that's in direct contact with the food, such as the cereal bag, is made of a plastic called High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). This is not made from recycled material. However, we’ve managed to make our plastic 40% thinner than it was 30 years ago without compromising safety, shelf life or damaging the cereal.
It is technically possible to recycle these bags, but unfortunately many recycling schemes won't take them. Some local authority recycling centres and larger supermarkets will take the bags as part of their carrier bag recycling schemes, but if they don't, you will need to dispose of the bag with your other non-recyclable rubbish.