Kellogg’s to pilot recyclable paper liner in cereal boxes

Kellogg’s, in partnership with UK supermarket Tesco, is set to trial paper-based cereal packaging for its Corn Flakes in a select number of stores from January 2022.

According to the company, the plastic inner liner in Kellogg’s cereal boxes is not currently accepted in kerbside recycling. The new recyclable packaging will also need to keep the cereal fresh over its 12-month shelf life.

The cereal’s outer card packaging is already fully recyclable, however, the new paper liner will make Kellogg’s entire cereal packaging fully paper-based.

Kellogg’s said that the results from the trial will be “crucial” for the company’s fully recyclable cereal packaging plans, whether that’s plastic liners being recyclable at kerbside – which is already available in Ireland and Belgium – or the rollout of fully paper-based cereal packaging.

Kellogg’s UK and Ireland’s managing director, Chris Silcock, said: “We know people want to do more to help the planet and that’s why we are working hard towards meeting our commitment of all Kellogg’s packaging being reusable, recyclable or compostable by the end of 2025. This important trial of fully paper cereal packaging ensures we have explored all our options.”

Silcock continued: “Ultimately, we would prefer plastic liners to be accepted in-home recycling as our data tells us that they are better for the planet over the full life cycle of the packaging, but this trial ensures we have an alternative”.