The Lord Mayor of Plymouth, Kathy Watkin, visited Burts Snacks’ Plymouth factory today (Friday 26 September) as part of National Recycling Week (22-27 September) celebrations. During her tour, the Lord Mayor met the team and saw first-hand how the Devon-based snack maker has been working to make its operations more sustainable.
National Recycling Week is an annual campaign that encourages businesses and individuals to recycle more and reduce waste. Burts used the week to highlight the progress it has made and show how its Devon team has been reducing its impact on the planet.
The biggest milestone for Burts this year was the launch of packaging made with 55% post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic, the highest currently used in the UK’s hand-cooked crisp sector. This new packaging was rolled out across the brand’s most popular flavours – Lightly Sea Salted, Sea Salt & Malt Vinegar, Mature Cheddar & Onion and Devon Roast Beef – and has been shortlisted for The Grocer’s New Product & Packaging Awards 2025.
Burts has also made progress across other areas of sustainability. The company is on track to achieve carbon neutrality at all its factories by 2027. Burts now has live carbon footprint data for all its potato suppliers in Cornwall and Somerset, allowing the brand to work closely with farmers to cut emissions. The business has also worked hard to eliminated landfill from its sites, diverting food waste into animal feed and biogas production and converting waste oil into biodiesel. On top of this, packaging has been further reduced by 20% across crisp bags and the company has invested in smarter water management, including new treatment systems at its London and Leicester sites.
Chris Lloyd, Head of Health, Safety & Sustainability at Burts Snacks, said:
“We were delighted to welcome the Lord Mayor of Plymouth to our factory during National Recycling Week. It was a great opportunity to show the work our team has been doing locally and the steps we have taken to make our business more sustainable. Launching our 55% PCR crisp packs across our top-selling flavours is a real highlight for the year, but our commitment goes beyond packaging. From working hand-in-hand with farmers, to eliminating waste to landfill and using water responsibly, we’re proud of the progress we’re making here in Devon and are determined to keep pushing the industry forward.”
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