Arla is replacing virgin plastic with recycled plastic in its 200g Protein tub and adding a glue-free cardboard sleeve that makes the packaging easier to sort. The change is expected to shift around 300 tonnes of plastic annually.

Arla Foods is launching a new packaging solution for its 200g Protein tub, replacing virgin plastic with recycled plastic. The tub will also feature a new glue-free cardboard sleeve that can be separated from the plastic cup without the need for tools.

The aim is to make it easier for consumers to sort the packaging correctly: the cardboard sleeve is sorted as paper/cardboard, whilst the cup itself is sorted as plastic. According to Arla, printed branding and product information has been moved from the cup itself onto the removable cardboard sleeve, keeping the plastic cleaner and therefore easier to recycle.

The new solution launches in Denmark, Sweden and the UK from June 2026, with the Netherlands following later in the year. Arla expects the shift from virgin to recycled plastic to amount to around 300 tonnes annually.

The initiative forms part of Arla’s broader packaging strategy, under which the company has set a target to eliminate the use of fossil-based virgin plastic from its packaging by 2030. Arla has previously introduced similar separable cardboard/plastic packaging solutions, including for its Kærgården tubs — a Danish dairy product line.

“Packaging you can see and feel is one of the most tangible ways to bring consumers along on the journey towards more circular solutions. That’s why we will continue working to replace virgin plastic with recycled plastic wherever possible,” says Mette Ulsø Kristensen, Head of Sustainability at Arla Denmark.

By Maja Løvstrup
Photo: Arla Foods