PET Food Processing - September 2020 - 53

PACKAGING

going for

GREEN

Sustainable packaging remains a priority for pet parents
and a focus for packaging suppliers and pet food brands.
By Lynn Petrak | petfoodprocessing@sosland.com

As more consumers - including pet parents - are concerned about sustainability, they are taking a closer look
at the environmental impact of the products they buy
and, in particular, how they are packaged. As anyone
who has emptied a 35-lb bag of dog food knows, it's not
a small bag to dispose of or figure out how to recycle.
The same can be said for cat owners, who go through
several cans or pouches a week.
Earlier in 2020, a report from Trivium Packaging
with Boston Consulting Group found that a majority
of consumers identify as environmentally aware and
two out of three said that environmentally friendly
or recyclable packaging is important to them. Nearly
three-fourths (74%) said they would pay for more
sustainable packaging.
While the pandemic has shifted many concerns to
safety and security, sustainability is still top of mind
among the buying public. Research released in July from
IRI and the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business
shows that seven in 10 consumers are buying more or
as many environmentally friendly products as they did
before the COVID-19 outbreak. Minimizing waste and
reducing negative environmental impact are among the
top issues cited by consumers right now.
The pandemic may actually foster more actions to
improve the health of the planet. More than 100 major manufacturers, including the chief executive officer
of Mars, Incorporated, signed a statement earlier this
year calling for governments to consider climate action
a part of COVID-19 recovery efforts.

Melissa Bauer, director of sustainability for the Pet
Sustainability Coalition (PSC), Boulder, Colo., agreed
that current world events are spurring new efforts to improve the health of people and the planet.
"Not only has sustainability not fallen off, it's almost
the opposite - there are a lot of environmental and social
challenges that fall under the umbrella of sustainability
that COVID has brought attention to," she said. "Also,
consumers have much more time to research, ask questions and care about what they are doing with their purchase dollar, and that is showing up in buying trends."
As people have more time to make conscious decisions, they also have more time to spend and bond with
their pets.
"Many of us have been staying home with our pets
and we're with them 24/7," Bauer added. "Plus, there is
an influx of new pet owners," she said, citing the dramatic increase in pet adoptions and pet fostering that has in
turn fueled demand for more pet food products.
Pet products are included in overall consumer interest in sustainability. According to a Rover.com survey,
three-quarters of pet parents said they are interested in
learning how to live more sustainably with their pets.
Forty percent said those concerns impact the food they
feed their pet and 35% said they have chosen more ecofriendly pet products.
Pet parents looking to reduce their environmental
pawprint through packaging can choose from a range of
options. Some manufacturers are packaging products in
lighter packages. Others are developing packaging made

TerraCycle has partnered
with several pet industry
brands to offer point-of-sale
recycling options for used
pet food packages, which
are then upcycled into
durable plastic products.
TerraCycle

74%

OF CONSUMERS
WOULD PAY
FOR MORE
SUSTAINABLE
PACKAGING.
Trivium Packaging, Boston Consulting Group

www.petfoodprocessing.net | September 2020 | PET FOOD PROCESSING

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PET Food Processing - September 2020

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