Walkers Chocolates debuts recyclable paper packaging

UK – Walkers Chocolates has launched a recyclable paper wrapper for its products, developed in collaboration with UPM Specialty Papers and EvoPak. 

The initiative marks a significant step in reducing plastic use across the company’s operations, offering a sustainable alternative for chocolate packaging. 

The new wrapper combines UPM Solide Lucent 45g/m² barrier base paper with EvoPak’s RCM coating, a water-soluble polymer, to create a fiber-based solution that ensures product quality with effective oxygen and grease barriers.

According to Walkers Chocolates, the packaging maintains the same production line efficiency as traditional plastic wrappers, requiring only minor adjustments. 

“The printability of UPM Solide Lucent is impressive, and EvoPak’s RCM coating is a revolutionary solution for our industry,” said Tom Murtagh, commercial director at Walkers Chocolates. 

The company has been supplying chocolates in this recyclable packaging to major retailers and international markets since early 2024, with products now available in UK retail chains and beyond.

In a statement, EvoPak CEO Tom Lock expressed satisfaction with the partnership, noting that UPM Solide Lucent is the preferred choice for future sustainable packaging projects due to its exceptional extrusion and flexo print quality. 

The packaging is compatible with existing fiber recycling systems, supporting the circular economy, and has earned a CEPI/4EG Technical Recyclability Score (v. 2.0, January 2025).

Samples of the wrapper will be displayed at UPM Specialty Papers’ stand during FachPack in Nuremberg, Germany, from September 23 to 25, 2025.

In November 2024, Walkers Chocolates announced that its Turkish Delight and Mint Cream bars would transition to EvoPak’s RCM wrapper, which uses Aquapak’s Hydropol polymer. 

This material, also used in the world’s first fully recyclable crisp packet, is compostable, marine-safe, and enables up to 100% paper fiber recovery in standard mills. 

Unlike conventional wrappers with polyethylene, these can be disposed of in curbside recycling, reducing landfill waste and microplastic pollution. 

Daniel McAlister, director of business operations at EvoPak, highlighted the potential of this technology to transform packaging for snacks, confectionery, and other dry goods, noting its cost equivalence to existing materials.

This move follows a broader industry trend, with companies like Nestlé and Mars also shifting to paper-based wrappers in markets like Australia and the UK. 

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