Walkers revealed today that more than half a million packets of crisps have been collected since it launched a recycling scheme in the wake of mounting public pressure late last year.

Over 8,500 collection points for recycling Walkers crisp packets have been established since December, when the group began a new green initiative.

The firm’s environmental actions came under the spotlight in September last year after activists began sending empty packets to Walkers to protests its non-recylcyable packaging, prompting the Royal Mail to urge people to stop posting packets amid fears that it might cause a delay to operations.

Read more: Crispgate: Walkers lets crisp fans recycle empty packets

In a petition to end the selling of such packets, an online campaign to "flood Walkers social media with pictures of us popping them in the post" picked up steam in September.

Royal Mail, which is obliged by law to deliver the bags to Walkers' freepost address, said that without envelopes the crisp packets cannot go through machines and need to be processed by hand, potentially causing delays in its delivery rooms.

Ex-footballer Gary Lineker and environment secretary Michael Gove are among the high profile names that have supported the Walkers campaign, which according to the firm has become "the fastest-growing and most successful recycling scheme created by a UK brand".

Today the crisp giant also revealed that one woman has sent in almost 50,000 packets to be recycled in just three months.

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