BOULDER, Colo. — Only Natural Pet is integrating at least 30% bioplastic packaging material into every bag of its recently launched line of Mindful Meals dry dog food. This announcement was made in conjunction with thermoplastics polyolefins-producer Braskem, headquartered in Philadelphia. This new packaging initiative was also developed in conjunction with Ontario-based Peel Plastics.

The new sustainable pet food packaging utilizes Braskem's sugarcane-based I'm greenTM biopolymer and supports Only Natural Pet's ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability and carbon reduction.

Marty Grosjean, founder and president of Only Natural Pet, commented, "We are very excited to be using the I'm greenTM biopolymer in our new Mindful Meals product line. The product is all about sustainable ingredients and thoughtful sourcing to create the ultimate dog food, so packaging it in a sustainable bag is ideal to further our sustainability goals — and of course to increase the appeal to pet parents."

Braskem's I'm greenTM polyethylene (PE) is a bio-based resin made from ethanol, a renewable and sustainable resource produced from Brazilian sugarcane. The company says I'm greenTM PE retains the same properties, performance and application versatility of fossil fuel derived polyethylene, making it an ideal drop-in substitute for conventional oil-based polyethylene. The cultivation of sugarcane utilized in the production of I'm greenTM PE captures carbon dioxide (CO2) and releases oxygen (O2), which means Braskem's bioplastic has a negative carbon footprint. According to Braskem, from a cradle-to-gate life-cycle perspective, every ton of I'm greenTM PE used in the production of packaging equates to 3.09 tons of CO2 captured from the atmosphere.

Joe Jankowski, commercial manager for Braskem's Renewables team in North America, stated, "As the increasingly healthy lifestyles of consumers leads them to seek out more natural foods for their pets, forward looking companies such as Only Natural Pet are matching their healthy product philosophy with more sustainable packaging solutions, minimizing the environmental and carbon footprints of pet food packaging in the process. We are proud to be partnering with Only Natural Pet to help meet these needs by leveraging Braskem's I'm greenTM PE bio-based plastic to offer consumers more sustainable pet food packaging, helping protect the planet for people and pets alike."

The Peel Plastics team worked side by side with Only Natural Pet and Braskem to design, develop and integrate the I'm greenTM PE biopolymer into a new packaging solution that maintains all the performance characteristics required, while delivering a solution that is better for the earth.

Weijia Zhang, business development manager of Peel Plastic, commented, "We are pleased to partner with Only Natural Pet and Braskem to deliver on an authentically sustainable packaging solution, which meaningfully reduces carbon footprint while ensuring uncompromising protection to both the Only Natural Pet brand, and to the mindfully crafted product inside."

Peel Plastic provides pre-made packaging solutions for the North American market and pioneered the flat-bottom pouch, the Grab-N-Go side-gusset handle, the hook-to-hook closure system and the introduction of bio-plastics.

Only Natural Pet offers natural pet supplies that take a holistic approach to optimizing the health of dogs and cats. As a founding member of the Pet Sustainability Coalition, Only Natural Pet says it is committed to sustainable and "green" business practices, including working with industry leaders to provide more conscientious and sustainable solutions for everything from efficient wind powered facilities, to carbon offset shipping, to more environmentally friendly sourcing for its products and packaging.

Only Natural Pet's Mindful Meals line of dry dog food in the more sustainable packaging is available in select retail stores as well as online. Founded in 2004 as an e-commerce business, Only Natural Pet now makes more than 200 of its own Only Natural Pet-branded products, including food, treats, supplements and natural flea prevention & treatment.

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