After over 30 years in the UK market, Müller Yogurt & Desserts is converting its iconic Corner yogurt pots from white to clear plastic.
As the business works to halve the environmental impact of its packaging by 2030, the majority of Müller Corner and Müller Bliss Corner yogurt pots have already converted, with the remaining volume taking place by the end of 2024.
The introduction of fully recyclable clear pots facilitates the retention of the material for reuse again within the food sector.
As the business targets a ‘closed loop system’, by converting almost 50% of Müller’s branded yogurts to clear PET (polyethylene terephthalate), the move could boost the availability of rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate) in the UK by over 3,000 tonnes per annum, further reducing industry requirements for ‘virgin’ plastic.
As Müller UK & Ireland targets on average 30% recycled content in its plastic packaging by 2025, the business has also confirmed that it is aiming to add recycled content into its clear corner yogurt pots by the end of 2025.
With Müller Corner seeing 11% value growth year on year, and 78% of shoppers preferring a clear Müller Corner pot to a white pot, the move is expected to drive further category growth.
Richard Williams, CEO at Müller Yogurt & Desserts said:
“The foods we eat can have a major impact on our planet and the people in it. As one of the most chosen FMCG brands in Great Britain, we have the scale to deliver meaningful change towards a circular economy.
“By making this change, the industry could benefit from increased availability of rPET, while reducing the demand for additional virgin plastic.
“The Müller brand exists to put a smile on the nation’s face, and there’s lots of ways of doing this. Our research showed that 78% would prefer us to steer to clear pots, so shoppers will now be able to see the delicious product held within the pot.
“This change represents an important and exciting milestone for our business as we work to halve the environmental impact of our packaging by 2030 and reach net zero across our supply chain by 2050.”
The move follows the launch of Müller’s redesigned branded yogurt and desserts packaging, created to make it more distinctive, cohesive and easy to find and buy.
Müller has also recently completed a project to switch all of its coloured milk bottle caps to clear, increasing the availability of rHDPE (Recycled High Density Polyethylene) on the market by 1560 tonnes.
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