Recyclable crisp packets using nanotechnology

At the end of 2018, Walkers launched their own recycling scheme for crisp packets after more than 300,000 people signed an online petition demanding that they change to a fully recyclable material for their packaging. Crisp packets are made from plastic and coated with a thin layer of metal. The metal layer is essential to prolong the shelf life of the food by providing a barrier to oxygen and water, but it makes the packets very difficult to recycle. Aiming to tackle this problem is Dermot O’Hare and his team at the University of Oxford, who have developed a new coating using nano-technology which, they say, could produce fully recyclable crisp packets and other plastic food packaging. Heather Jameson spoke to Dermot to learn more…