The war against stale Cheerios just recruited its most valiant soldier.
On Oct. 27, Cheerios and Ziploc introduced a joint innovation: Cheerios with Ziploc PantrySeal, the first resealable bag inside a traditional cereal box. Cheerio’s parent company General Mills says it receives hundreds of thousands of requests a year about making its cereal bags resealable.
The brands say the new resealable bag makes it easier to pour and reseal, keeping cereal fresher for longer.
According to a press release, 90% of cereal eaters say they already take extra steps beyond simply closing the box to help keep their cereal from going stale, like folding, rolling or clipping the bag. Some even transfer their cereal to another container completely.
“Cheerios with Ziploc PantrySeal™ takes a small, everyday cereal frustration and finally gives consumers the simple solution they’ve been asking for, making the whole routine easier and more enjoyable,” said Emilie Knox, VP and business unit director for Cheerios at General Mills, in the release.
Cheerios with Ziploc PantrySeal opens only partially at the top to create a pouring spout, making it easier for anyone young or old to fill a bowl (or their bare hands between meals).
General Mills says it developed the new design for production exclusively in Buffalo, New York, where it first made Cheerios in 1941. It also aimed to produce these new bags at Cheerios’ scale: one cereal box per second.
The brand didn’t mention, however, how much plastic this adds to the packaging, or if the bag is recyclable. Cereal cardboard boxes are widely recyclable in curbside paper or cardboard bins, but standard curbside recycling bins typically don’t accept the plastic inner bag.
General Mills makes its bags from the same type of plastic most shopping bags are made of: high-density polyethylene, a soft, pliable #2 plastic.
General Mills did not immediately respond to TODAY.com’s request for comment on the use of additional plastic.
The new Ziploc-lined boxes of Cheerios will be available in the cereal aisle for both Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios and are already stocked on Walmart’s website. They will branch out to more retailers in the coming months.
