Researchers in Flanders develop recyclable Pringles cans

The original Pringles packaging had been a thorny issue for years: while the plastic cap could be recycled easily, the iconic cylindrical can itself usually ended up in the incinerator as its materials could not be separated. The new Pringles packaging puts an end to this waste. 

The new can no longer has a metal bottom. Instead, it consists of over 90% paper and can thus be thrown in the paper bin – regardless of the thin aluminum layer on the inside of the can. For the Belgian market alone, this innovation helps cut back a whopping 460 tons of residual waste per year.

The first recyclable chips cans are already rolling off the production line at the Pringles factory in Mechelen and will be available in Belgian stores by the end of May 2023. In the years to come, the sustainable Pringles cans will be launched in a dozen other countries as well.

Luc Houben, CEO of Kellogg’s Benelux – Pringles’ parent company – refers to the innovation developed by the Flanders-based team as a world’s first, adding that “a special type of welding was needed to adhere the paper bottom to the cylindrical can.” This was an important challenge, as the packaging must be fully airtight in order to safeguard the quality of the chips.

The Pringles plant in Flanders is one of the American company’s largest production sites worldwide and employs some 650 people. Annually, the factory produces up to 500 million cans of chips. 10 million are destined for the Belgian market, while the rest is exported to 40 countries in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. 

The recyclable can is a new step in the sustainability journey of Pringles. Two years ago, the company invested EUR 30 million in making production less energy intensive.

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