In a push to make petfood packaging more recyclable, Purina has launched the first of its designed to be recyclable pouch ranges in the UK, with plans for the packaging to be introduced in more than 20 countries across Europe including UK, Ireland, Belgium and Italy.
According to a survey conducted by Rover.com, three quarters of pet owners said they were interested in learning to live more sustainably which impacted on the food they bought for their pets as well as the packaging.
With this in mind, Purina’s Gourmet, a super-premium wet cat food, will be debuting the mono material packaging through the relaunch of its Mon Petit range. The company explains that the recyclable packaging – which is dependent on the accessibility to recycling in each country – is the result of a year-long pilot study using the Felix brand in the Netherlands, where polypropylene (PP) can be recycled in existing recycling streams. The study took place in September 2020 using recyclable flexible plastic packaging.
“The new mono material pouches are another great example of our commitment to using simpler packaging,” explains Sokhna Gueye, Head of Packaging Nestle UK&I. “Simplification of our pouch structures will also enable this type of packaging to be part of flexible packaging household recycling collection, which has been announced by the government to be introduced by March 2027.”
The relaunch marks a step towards the company’s journey to 100 percent reusable or recyclable packaging by 2025. By 2023, it plans to introduce designed to be recyclable packaging for the Felix Soup range.
The packaging is made of PP, providing the petfood pouches to be recyclable while being resistant to high temperatures and offering robust protection for their contents in contrast to the non-recyclable, multi-layer alternatives of the past; a long-standing challenge for manufacturers wishing to provide consumers with packaging that is easier to recycle without compromising on taste and safety.
In addition, the packaging will be sold in a cardboard box which is recyclable, containing six pouches with three different flavours. Purina is also testing paper-based materials and reusable packaging systems where customers can bring their own containers to fill with dry petfood.
“This innovation is a significant step forward in our drive to deliver recyclable or reusable packaging on all of our products by 2025,” says Jeff Hamilton, Europe Chief Executive Officer Nestle Purina. “This vision extends to the world in which we all live, and Purina is working hard to reduce the environmental footprint of the materials we use.”
For more information on Purina visit their website, HERE.
