Big Ben 6 pack pie trays are now recyclable

Big Ben 6 Pack pies are a popular product in many Kiwi households. On average Kiwis consume over 1.2m¹ Big Ben 6 Packs per year. Until recently, Big Ben’s 6 Pack red tray were made from High Impact Polystyrene ‘HIPs’, which is not recyclable in New Zealand. This meant that over 35 tonnes² of plastic was sent to landfill every year.

Big Ben is committed to keeping New Zealand the way we like it and reducing its impact on the environment so from the 13th of June 2022 Big Ben pie trays switched from HIPs to PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate). PET is a class 1 plastic, which is kerbside recyclable in New Zealand. This means instead of sending 35 tonnes of plastic to landfill it can now be recycled.

Is this a closed loop system?

No. Unfortunately this is not a closed loop solution. Closed loop systems need to consume material from the original item to make a new version of the same item.

Have you considered recycled PET?

Big Ben is always looking for ways to reduce its impact on the environment. There are potential food safety risks when using recycled PET in packaging that is in contact with the product. That said, Big Ben is always looking at alternatives that would reduce its impact on the environment.

Why has it taken you so long to change from HIPs to PET?

Big Ben 6 Pack’s are a large product line. This meant that any changes needed to be thoroughly tested to ensure the tray would protect the pies until they’ve been consumed like the previous tray did.

What is the outer packaging made of?

The shrink film is a class 4 plastic, which can be recycled as part of the soft plastic recycling scheme. Check out Big Ben’s store locator to find participating retailers.

This data is not live and is subject to change. Last updated 21/06/22.

1. Internal sales data for an averaged 12-month period.
2. Average weight of a red tray multiplied by the average sales over a 12-month period.