PET Food Processing - September 2021 - 66

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" Clarity of information on packaging
has increased in importance, especially
for consumers who have 'pandemicacquired'
pets in comparison with
those who are long-time pet owners. "
Bill Kuecker, Mondi North America
such as Nestlé, Unilever,
PepsiCo and Mars agreeing
to such large commitments,
the importance
of joining these efforts is
spreading quickly to the
pet food industry.
" It's also an important
signal to the market, "
Bauer said. " When you
have the big companies
making these commitments, that
The sustainability
focus around
packaging tends
to center on
recyclability and
renewable resins.
Printpack
is a signal that these types of technologies need to exist
across the supply chain. "
Bauer also said these commitments are a strong marthe
entire industry needs to work
ket indicator that
collaboratively across the supply chain and industry to
make such goals happen. The infrastructure for the collection
systems to support such recycling efforts needs
to continue to grow.
" No one brand can solve this on their own, " Bauer
said.
Bauer said the recyclability of products is becoming
increasingly noticeable to the consumer
because 99% of all packaging of pet food is not
currently recyclable, and the bag is what
is being left in the consumer's hand
after the product is gone. She said
the ultimate goal would be to have
recyclable bags manufactured using
recyclable content.
LaPointe said post-consumer resin
material is currently the primary
driver of recyclability and will be as
the technology continues to spread
and develop.
Bauer said offering more sustainable
and recyclable packaging can
be more practical for a company offering
only pet food, but for larger
companies with a greater breath of
products, it becomes much more of
a challenge.
66 PET FOOD PROCESSING | September 2021 | www.petfoodprocessing.net
Schaich said Printpack is working to develop a more
sustainable solution for e-commerce products, which
typically require being shipped in an additional package.
" The ideal solution would be to create and certify a
package that ships in its own container, " he said.
He said another packaging challenge the company is
facing is finding the right combination of materials to
develop an easy-to-open package for 40- to 50- lb bags of
high-content dry food. He said the challenge is to make
this kind of packaging sustainable while also delivering
a premium look and being able to support drop-testing.
With all this emphasis on making more environmentally
conscious packaging decisions, it is becoming clear
companies focusing on such sustainable efforts will see a
return to their business.
" Businesses are starting to feature sustainable brands
on their websites, " LaPointe said. " It's driving some market
advantages to brands willing to make that change. "
As the format options for food and treats continue to widen,
packaging will need to accommodate emerging formats while
providing enough available space for the brand to inform pet
owners about the product. Merrick Pet Care
http://www.petfoodprocessing.net
PET Food Processing - September 2021

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