The facts
About
Our packs...

...AND WHAT WE’RE DOING TO MAKE THEM BETTER

We’re the pioneers of plant-based. Alpro was born plant-based, way back in 1980, and we’ve been banging that big, plant-based drum ever since. Our mission back then was the same as it is now: to help people make positive choices when it comes to food. 

In other words:

We are passionate about our packaging. We're not where we'd like to be, yet. But we're working on it. 

GOOD FROM THE INSIDE OUT

You know that old saying it’s what’s inside that counts? We totally believe it. Inside our packs you’ll find only the best plant-based ingredients. But we’re taking a look at what’s happening on the outside, too. Our packaging works. Great. But that’s not enough, is it? We want to know where it comes from and where it’s going to go when the job is done. 

Say 'hello' to all our lovely packs

We’re happy that our drinks cartons are mostly made from renewable paper (70% of the total), the more paper the less fossil-based packaging we have to use.  Our cartons are sandwiched with thin layers of PE plastic (polyethylene) to protect the product inside. These cartons can be recycled, but it’s important to check whether this is part of your home collection or if it can be dropped off at specific recycling points locally – check here at: https://www.recyclenow.com/about-us/recycling-locator-tool

Our non-chilled drinks cartons have a very thin layer of aluminium, too, but only the minimum required. Seals the product for longer shelf life, good; challenging to recycle, bad; one for our to do list! 

In these long-life products, aluminium makes the packs liquid-proof, but also allows to be transported and stored without being chilled. All that energy saved and a big tick for our CO2 score as we do not have to use chilled transport.  

We are on a journey to make the most sustainable combination of materials and ensure that our products reach you as delicious as the day they were packed.

Today, this solution has relatively low carbon impact vs other packaging materials such as glass or aluminum . 

Our ambition is to improve carton circularity – ensuring all packaging materials have the chance to be used again.  

Yay! No more polystyrene. All our little pots are now made from fully recyclable PET plastic (polyethylene terephthalate). It's safe, strong and perfect for keeping our yummy foods delicious until you pop them open. Great news for you and for the planet!

PET is recyclable. Not just that, it's the only material that can be turned straight back into food packaging. We love a perfect circle!

Knowing that we're always coming up with better solutions. But we also know we're not all the way there yet.

We've made a promise that all our packs will be fully recyclable by 2030. And we're going to keep it. As well as switching to recycled PET (rPET) and plant-based plastics wherever we can.

The main ingredient in our big pots is PP (polypropylene), 100% safe and recyclable The outer sleeve is recycled cardboard. Our favourite – the more cardboard we use in the sleeve, the less plastic we need in our pot! The PP pot can be recycled. Who knows, it could have a whole new life as a cosy fleece or a compost bin. And the wrapper? Just peel it off and sort it with all your other paper and cardboard. Keeping everything delicious for longer, the inner lid is made aluminium. It’s really small, so to to make sure it gets processed, please scrunch it up with other aluminium foil waste before putting it in the recycling bin.The outer lid is recyclable PET plastic. Safe, strong, turns into any shape, and once recycled, turns into new packaging,

This combo makes for a pot strong enough to hold a sharing size helping of our delicious plant-based alternative to yogurt, keeping it delicious until you dive in.  

Right now, we need the plastic to keep everything watertight. But at least adding the cardboard means we can use less of it. Plus, we like the fact that the cup and sleeve are both fully recyclable. (If they're separated and put in the correct recycling bin, of course.)

We're always working on ways to improve our packaging, like finding a better solution for the single use PET lid, for example 

Why not glass, we hear you ask. Simple. Because there’s a better choice. If you look at the whole journey a pack takes, and all the different ways it impacts the environment, it’s far from simple as just avoiding plastic. Glass is made from non-renewable materials, and even empty, it’s bulky and heavy to transport, while our light cardboard cartons travel flat-packed. Then when they’re full, a lorry can carry almost twice as many cartons as glass bottles in one go. Fewer trucks on the road, less fuel used, less CO2! 

Plus, our plant-based cartons are mainly made from renewables – with nice shiny certificates to prove it. Such as the FSC certified wood that goes into our paperboard, Plantastic 

Lots of reasons. Glass is made from non-renewable materials. Even empty, it’s bulky and heavy to transport, while our feather-light cardboard cartons travel flat-packed. Then when they’re full, a lorry can carry almost twice as many cartons as glass bottles in one go. Fewer trucks on the road, less fuel used, less CO2!

Plus, our plant-based cartons are mainly made from sustainably grown renewables – with nice shiny certificates to prove it. From FSC for the wood that goes into our paperboard, and from Bonsucro for the sugarcane we use to make bioplastic. Plantastic!

Discover all our delicious plant-based products

Strawberry Plant-Based Alternative to Yoghurt

Alpro Barista Oat

Soya Original

Almond Roasted No Sugars
View all products

Still got questions?

Good question. We had to look it up, too. rPET is simply PET plastic (polyethylene terephthalate to give it its full name) that’s already been recycled at least once. Just one of the reasons we’ve chosen it for our snazzy new drinks bottles. Next, it’s easy to turn into any shape you like. And here’s the third reason why we like it – it’s just as easy to turn it straight into new bottles or any other food packaging when it’s done its job, and there aren’t many plastics you can do that with.

We know it must seem a little strange when everyone’s talking about cutting down on plastic. But here’s the thing. The plastic we’ve chosen is already recycled rPET. And once it’s done its our job keeping our drinks fresh, it can be recycled again and again. And the deal maker for us? PET’s the only plastic that can be turned straight back into food packaging. Just think! That one little nugget of plastic that made your bottle could simply keep on going as a bottle. Never on land fill, never in the ocean. It keeps our designers happy, too, because it can be turned into any shape our they come up with. So not just useful, a pretty face as well!

The short answer is, yes, 100% recyclable depending on where you live. The long answer? The main body of the bottle is 100% recyclable. The HDPE cap is recyclable, too – all you have to do is rescrew it back onto the bottle before you pop it in the recycling bin. Which just leaves that smart outer sleeve. Because it’s coloured, you’ll need to peel it off before you recycle the bottle. It’s recyclable in some countries, but unlike transparent uncoloured PET might be used to make a fleece rather than a new food pack.

Trust us, whenever we create something new or redesign the pack for one of your favourites, we look very hard at what we use materials wise. Cartons have their good points and they’re perfect for some products, but for our premium and plant-based alternative to yogurt drinks, plastic bottles won out. Lightweight, resealable and 100% recyclable. And at 50% of the PET in the bottle will be already recycled before we get our hands on it and we’re working on making that 100% for every single bottle.

Number one, naturally we’d only pick something safe, tried and tested for food. Number two, it has to be 100% recyclable just about anywhere or we couldn’t hold our heads up. PET’s both of those, perfect for keeping our drinks fresh and the only plastic that can be turned straight back into brand new food packaging. We love the thought of our plastic going straight from bottle to bottle! And we like rPET is even more because it’s already been recycled at least once before we get our hands on it. Lighter on materials, lighter on the planet.

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