Müller switches to 100% recyclable cream pots, cutting 500 tons of virgin plastic

31-Aug-2022 - Last updated on 31-Aug-2022 at 16:00 GMT

rPET is fully recyclable and each pot contains around 80% recycled material. Image: Müller

Related tags Packaging Sustainability Cream Plastic Recycling

The new packaging will be used for both own-brand and private label products.

Müller Milk & Ingredients has converted 75% of its cream volume to rPET pots, the company announced.

The pots are fully recyclable and embed 82% recycled material, with the switch set to remove 500 tons of virgin plastic from the dairy company’s annual production of cream pots.

The new rPET pots, which are supplied by Faerch, have been rolled out across Müller’s 150ml and 300ml cream range, across both its brand and private label offering. The business is currently developing packaging solutions for the remaining volume for 2023.

Liam McNamara, joint CEO at Müller Milk & Ingredients, commented: “We aim to be the partner of choice for our customers, so we are constantly looking at ways that we can help meet shared sustainability commitments.

“It’s clear that shoppers want great dairy products in packaging which preserves their quality, safety and shelf life whilst reducing environmental impact. We are continually searching for innovative solutions to use significantly less virgin plastic.

“Three quarters of our cream pots now contain recycled material, and now our focus turns to finding solutions for the remaining volume.”

Mark Tollman, group strategic sales director at Faerch, added: “We are delighted to partner with Müller to bring this exciting new range of recycled pots to the UK cream market. We have worked closely with the Müller team to ensure the product had the highest level of recycled content possible, whilst maintaining the overall performance of the packaging through the supply chain. We look forward to working with the Müller team in creating solutions for the remaining volume.”

Müller’s fresh milk bottles have been 100% recyclable for many years and contain 30% recycled material. The dairy company also recently partnered with Waitrose to replace colored milk caps on fresh milk bottles with clear caps, with Aldi currently trialing them, to enable retention for reuse within the food sector.