Sustainable packaging for UK potato chip brand

Parkside has collaborated with SMUG, an upstart food and drink brand, to develop a 100% compostable potato chip packet made from a certified home compostable laminate.

The pack uses Parkside’s Park2Nature material, which can be disposed of in regular domestic compost heaps where it will break down into water, carbon dioxide and biomass in under 26 weeks. It can also be sent for industrial composting, where it will decompose within 12 weeks.

SMUG will launch its hand-friend potato crisps in the UK with a debut flavour of Cacio e Pepe, and two further flavours planned for 2024. The brand is a venture from Shoreditch-based food and drink marketing agency Merry Galelli.

Mark Shaw, Parkside Sales Account Manager, said, “Cutting-edge brands need cutting-edge sustainable packaging to match. We’re delighted to work with Merry Galelli on the launch of its innovative SMUG brand crisps. Sustainability is playing an increasing role in the purchasing decisions of today’s consumers, and so home compostable packaging is ideal for fresh new brands looking to disrupt a highly competitive category.”

The pack uses Parkside’s plant-based laminate applied in a duplex format, offering an oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of below 1.0. This ensures the chips retain their crunch and flavour as they move through the supply chain.

Stephen Merry, Merry Galelli co-founder, said the packaging is a key part of the product launch.

“Parkside was able to deliver packaging that not only allowed us to create striking, attractive packaging that protects and preserves the freshness of our crisps, but also that is in line with our own sustainability goals and those of our target consumer,” Merry said.