Cup Noodles to Introduce Microwave-Safe, Environmentally Friendly Packaging in 2024
New packaging for Cup Noodles to be made of recycled fiber and paper, eliminating plastic wrap and potentially harmful polystyrene, in a bid to reduce CO2 emissions and make the products safer for microwave usage.
- Cup Noodles, produced by Nissin Foods, will introduce microwave-safe packaging in early 2024, putting an end to customer confusion around the microwave safety of their current Styrofoam cups.
- The new packaging, made from 40% recycled fiber and sleeves from 100% recycled paper, is expected to reduce the company's CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030, supporting its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
- Switching to paper-based packaging not only makes Cup Noodles microwave-safe, but also significantly reduces the preparation time to just over two minutes.
- Many consumers were previously unaware that Cup Noodles were not intended for microwave use despite packaging warnings, leading to potential health risks as components of the Styrofoam have been classified as possibly carcinogenic.
- Since less than 5,000 tons out of the 80,000 tons of Styrofoam containers produced in the U.S. in 2018 were recycled, the move to recyclable packaging could have a significant impact on reducing non-recyclable waste.