British Crisp Co. revolutionises crisp packaging with world’s first fully recyclable paper packet

The British Crisp Co. has launched the World’s first fully recyclable crisp bag, made of paper.

More than 8 billion crips packets are currently sold every year in the UK, the majority of which end up in landfill – with each packet capable of remaining intact in the environment for up to 33 years.

This crisp packaging revolution has been led by 34-year-old entrepreneur Tom Lock, founder of The British Crisp Co, who has spent the past three years working to unlock the holy grail of keeping crisps fresh in paper packaging that can be recycled in the same way as newspaper or cardboard.

Lock began his working life on the meat counter at Waitrose where he first developed his own pork snacks – Awfully Posh Pork Crackling – which soon appeared on the shelves of the supermarket he used to work for.

Despite many challenges and setbacks, he now produces a wide range of snacks from crisps to popcorn for both the retail and the out of home market. The company is expected to turnover more than £3m in the next 12 months.

His new crisp packaging is OPRL accredited which means the bags can display the green “Recycle” logo, accompanied with the words – “I’m Paper, Recycle Me”.

The crisp bags have been developed in the UK in partnership with EvoPak, a manufacturer of sustainable paper based flexible packaging. The packaging is a unique combination of paper and Hydropol – an environmentally friendly material developed by Aquapak Polymers. A very thin layer of vacuum deposited aluminium keeps the crisps fresh but doesn’t impact the recyclability of the packets.

Lock said that The British Crisp Co. is committed to more than just great taste and high-quality ingredients, it is passionate about sustainability.

“That’s why we are delighted to be the world’s first crisp brand to bring to market a fully recyclable paper pack,” he explained. “In addition, we make our crisps on a UK farm that not only grows its own potatoes but is powered by renewable energy. So we like to say that our crisps don’t just taste good, they do good too.”

The new range of crisps will be launching in the coming months across shops, pubs, hotels & coffee shops across the UK and will include the three most popular flavours of crisps – all naturally vegan and gluten free.

• Sea Salt – where the simple and delicious seasoning of Sea Salt takes centre stage.
• Salt & Vinegar – the classic combination of salt and vinegar paired with a satisfying crunchy texture.
• Cheese & Onion – sharp and savoury onion meets creamy richness of cheese for a classic British flavour.

Any stockists interested in getting their hands on the new range of paper crisp packets can The British Crisp Co.’s sales team at Windfall Brands, who have been helping Lock in developing the sales approach for what is true “World First”.

Daniel McAlister, operations director at Evopak, noted the development of a unique packaging material which has the potential to revolutionise packaging, thanks to the properties of Hydropol.

“The paper can be used in a range of applications from snacks and confectionary, to petcare and dry foods and cereals,” McAlister added.

Mark Lapping, chief executive officer, Aquapak, said: “Today’s launch marks a significant milestone for Aquapak and our Hydropol technology, which can be commercialised at scale. Producers now have a viable, environmentally safe, and recyclable alternative that enables full fibre recovery in standard paper recycling and does not form microplastics in the process.”

Mark Sears, managing director, Windfall Brands said: “The whole of our team, in both grocery and out of home are thrilled to be associated with such an important development in what is a major category. This is a once in a decade opportunity to make a real difference to the UK’s environment – well done Tom and the EvoPak team.”

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