An iconic brand, tic tac mints, is making the switch in its rectangular packages from polystyrene ps to polypropylene pp under the banner of better recyclability. While the news is not necessarily huge, it represents another switch away from rigid ps due to recycling issues. Tic tac&rsquos parent, the ferrero co., claims the switch will allow the packages to be recycled, an aspect the company said was less available with ps packaging. Further, the company claims that the new tic tac packaging will leave a smaller carbon footprint, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 44 percent and energy use by 34 percent. Yet, the change can be as much about material costs savings as it is about helping the environment. The new tic tac packages also reduce plastics use by 296 tons annually and will allow the company to market its candy mints as recyclable. Tic tac brand manager jim morris said the packages will carry a calltoaction label on its packages asking consumers to &ldquoplease recycle the packages after they have enjoyed their mints.&rdquo the use of pp as a recycled material, unfortunately, can also be questioned. While it is undoubtedly recyclable, applications remain a bit spotty.
