27 year old Walkers crisp pack found in the rubbish

A litter collection group has discovered a Walkers crisp packet that dates back nearly 30 years. The Recoup Litter Composition & Pathways project found the cheese and onion package in Peterborough, Cambs, with an expiry date of 1997.

The find was “surprisingly preserved” with little degradation to the blue and red package or ink.

A spokesman for Recoup, an independent plastic recycling authority, said it highlighted how litter can remain in the environment if not collected.

The group has carried out five litter picks as part of a project into littering concerns in the area and aims to provide evidence of how long litter can really last.

The walk was run with the help of the Peterborough Little Wombles Association, a group of community volunteers who collected over 2,000 bags of litter in 2023.

Laura Hutchings, Projects & Data Manager at RECOUP, said: “It was really interesting to see the variety of new and old litter we collected from each litter.”

“There is a clear need for well-thought-out and targeted waste prevention interventions, and this project will provide key data and insights to help make this happen.”