Blanco Niño switches to recyclable Tortilla chip packaging

The brand says it is the first premium corn tortilla chip brand in the UK and Ireland to move to fully recyclable packaging.

The move comes after it revealed a typical plastic crisp packet takes hundreds of years to decompose. In the UK alone, six billion packets are consumed every year and only a fraction of these are recycled.

Blanco Niño’s new packaging is made from a plastic resin called polypropylene 5 which is widely recycled. The new design will keep the product fresher for longer.

Commenting on the announcement Blanco Niño, founder and CEO Philip Martin said he is looking forward to unveiling the new recyclable packaging. “It’s a momentous step for Blanco Niño in reducing our impact on the environment. We saw an opportunity to develop fully recyclable packaging and I’m very proud to say that we’re one of the first to do so,” he said.

The packaging is a bespoke design with a window, featuring stylised landscapes representing key ingredients of each flavour. The product range itself remains unchanged and retains the premium quality the brand has become known for. The range includes Lightly Salted, Blue Corn (formerly called Ancient Grain) and Chilli & Lime.

Blanco Niño’s director of community, Ruth Jenkins said: “We’ve been humbled by the great response to the bag design and I feel it stands out on shelf. For Blanco Niño as a brand, sustainability and doing the right thing has been a priority from the outset.

“Consumers are rightly demanding more sustainable products and we as a team are delighted to rise to the challenge. It’s certainly not easy or straightforward but our R&D process made it possible. I hope we can lead the way and others will follow.”

Blanco Niño Tortilla Chips earned five stars at the Great Taste Awards 2022. Double stars for their Lightly Salted and Blue Corn flavours and a star for Chilli & Lime. Judges noted “A superb texture and mouthfeel, truly wonderful. Perfectly salted and a joy to eat, and we feel that this is a great example of a traditional tortilla chip. They are light, delicate and so very well produced, and we applaud your process and creation here.”

The tortilla chips are naturally gluten-free, vegan friendly, kosher certified and are made using the finest ingredients, some of which are sourced from heritage farmers in Mexico itself.

Blanco Niño Tortilla Chips retail at £3.50 RRP and can be found at Ocado, Daylesford, Booths, Eat 17 and numerous independent food stores.