This article was published in the May/June 2025 issue of Pet Food Processing. Read it and other articles from this issue in our May/June digital edition.
Sustainability has become a defining priority in the pet food and treat industry, and packaging is at the center of the conversation. While US legislation has yet to mandate sustainable packaging practices, growing consumer demand and international regulatory momentum are pushing brands to rethink how their products are wrapped, sealed and shipped.
Mono-material packaging is gaining traction because it simplifies recycling and reduces environmental impact. Brands are weighing its benefits alongside technical and cost challenges, all while trying to stay ahead of future regulations that seem increasingly inevitable. The question is no longer if the rules will change, but when.
Present-day solutions
Flexible plastic remains the material of choice in pet food packaging, thanks to its durability and ability to preserve freshness. But brands are shifting toward mono-material versions that can be more easily recycled, a move widely regarded as the most practical step toward sustainability.
Amcor’s AmPrima recycle-ready packaging material can be used for pet food and treats in various package sizes.
|“Mono-material, or ‘recycle-ready,’ flexible plastic packaging is currently considered a best practice for sustainable packaging in pet food,” said Allison Reser, director of sustainability and innovation for the Pet Sustainability Coalition, Boulder, Colo. “Flexible plastic has many advantages that make it difficult to move away from, including its ability to keep pet food fresh and its lightweight nature. However, much of the flexible plastic used today is multi-material, meaning it consists of multiple layers of different types of plastic, which is very difficult to recycle. In contrast, mono-material packaging is made from a single type of plastic resin, making it much easier to recycle.”
That shift to simpler structures is already playing out at the material level. Manufacturers are increasingly turning to polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) as flexible mono-material options that meet both performance needs and recyclability goals. One company helping lead that transition is Thanh Phu Plastic Packaging Co., Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.
“At the moment, mono-material (PE or PP) flexible packaging is the best option for the pet industry,” said Alex Dam, executive vice president, Thanh Phu Plastic Packaging Co. “Mono-material structures allow both mechanical and advanced recycling to happen, post-consumer. The technology is available and mature enough to provide a full spectrum of solutions for pet food packing — from general to high barrier applications. Many brand owners are now looking at including food-safe mass-balancing ISCC certified PCR-derived polymer in their packaging choices with up to 50% available. Thanh Phu is proud to be one of the early adopters in launching this material at scale with our recycle-ready packaging solutions.”
Recyclability isn’t the only consideration guiding packaging choices. Increasingly, brands are also looking for materials that support a closed-loop system by combining recycled content with end-of-life recyclability. Peel Plastic Products, based in Brampton, Ontario, has developed a solution designed to do both.
“We’re noticing a growing demand for material that’s recycle-ready or includes recycled content,” said Spencer Luyben of Peel Plastics.
“We’re noticing a growing demand for material that’s recycle-ready or includes recycled content,” said Spencer Luyben, sales and marketing coordinator, Peel Plastic Products. “Our technical team has combined the two and created a truly innovative solution in our Circular Pouch. This solution includes recycled content and is also ready to recycle at end of use, which culminates in a genuinely circular packaging solution.”
Barriers to change
While progress is being made, the shift to more sustainable packaging comes with real-world challenges. For many brands, cost remains one of the biggest obstacles to scaling up eco-friendly solutions.
“It’s no secret that more sustainable materials and structures are more expensive,” said Jacob Reinke of Amcor Flexibles North America.
“It’s no secret that more sustainable materials and structures are more expensive,” said Jacob Reinke, marketing manager, Amcor Flexibles North America, Deerfield, Ill. “Increased costs have been a deterrent. However, Amcor recently conducted a third-party consumer survey that identified 50% of consumers would be willing to pay 3% to 10% more for products with recyclable packaging. Additionally, another 18% of respondents would be willing to pay more than a 10% premium for this feature.”
Cost isn’t the only factor brands must weigh. Switching to mono-materials can also introduce technical limitations that require time and adaptation. Thanh Phu has seen firsthand how performance, efficiency and infrastructure all influence success.
“The biggest challenge is to achieve the same performance with new eco-friendly packaging, when compared with incumbent non-recyclable structures,” Dam said. “The packing conditions do need to be fine-tuned to accommodate the new mono-material structures. The operating window is naturally narrower with mono-material packaging compared with non-recyclable. This requires a certain learning curve to achieve packing efficiency at scale.”
Even when packaging performs well, brands face an additional hurdle: communicating those benefits clearly and credibly to consumers.
“On-pack space is limited, and some companies choose not to include information about the sustainable attributes of their packaging,” said Allison Reser of the Pet Sustainability Coalition.
“Brands also face communication challenges. On-pack space is limited, and some companies choose not to include information about the sustainable attributes of their packaging,” Reser said. “Greenwashing is another concern, as claims like ‘100% recyclable’ or ‘eco-friendly packaging’ can often be misleading or lack proper substantiation.”
Taking sustainability forward
As regulations evolve and consumer expectations grow, pet food companies are taking different approaches to sustainability. Some are moving quickly to align with future standards, while others are proceeding more cautiously.
“Recent and potential Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies are compelling manufacturers, producers and importers to be proactive in considering the sustainability of their packaging,” Reinke said. “Additionally, more sustainable packaging has been an ask from consumers for years in the pet space. This combination of variables is forcing companies to seek viable options for more sustainable packaging.”
Peel Plastics Circular Pouch includes recycled content and is ready-to-recycle at end of use.
| Source: Peel PlasticsSome brands are stepping up early with meaningful commitments to long-term sustainability. These early adopters tend to be companies with larger market share or more premium positioning, with the resources and incentive to lead by example.
“The market leaders — both in market share presence and brand premiumization — are very much pushing sustainability forward, as early adopters. They are at the forefront of this packaging trend,” Dam said. “Certainly, geographies where legislation has already kicked in, like the United Kingdom and Europe, have much higher adoption rates compared with the United States. However, we have seen an increasing number of brands coming on board, and the ‘wait-and-see’ attitude becomes much less prominent when compared with two years ago.”
Packaging suppliers are also encouraging brands to act early rather than waiting for mandates to catch up. Their message: move now, and you’ll have more flexibility later.
“We strongly encourage our customers to get ahead of regulations and adopt a sustainable solution immediately,” Luyben said. “It will help to ensure they remain compliant with any new regulations without feeling restricted in what options are available to them in a potentially tight timeline.”
Emerging packaging formats
As sustainable packaging moves into the mainstream, suppliers continue to refine the performance, purity and recyclability of mono-materials. Much of the innovation is aimed at extending shelf life, improving recyclability and aligning with evolving packaging industry guidelines.
“I think you will see more of the same, development of mono-material in all flexible packaging, continuous improvement of barrier properties for shelf life. Then we will see the driver become purity of the materials and designing out contaminants, in line with Ceflex guidelines,” said Adam Kay, sales and technical director, Tyler Packaging, Leamington Spa, United Kingdom.
Material design isn’t the only area seeing innovation. Advances in recycling technology are also starting to influence how packaging is created and recovered.
“We’re excited about emerging tech-based solutions that can help make flexible plastic packaging more recyclable,” Reser said. “When recyclables are collected, they’re sent to a Material Recovery Facility (MRF), where they are sorted by material type. New technologies, such as QR codes or invisible digital watermarks embedded in packaging, can enable machines to identify and sort materials more effectively, increasing the chances that the packaging is successfully recycled.”
Future regulations
Even as packaging formats evolve, real progress often depends on the systems in place to support them. For brands to fully benefit from sustainable packaging innovations, municipal and national recycling infrastructures must catch up — and legislation may be the key to driving that shift.
Packaging pet food with mono-materials requires some operational adjustments that processors need to take into account before making a switch to recyclable packaging, according to Thanh Phu Plastic Packaging Co.
| Source: Thanh Phu Plastic Packaging Co.“While store drop-off recycling isn’t always ideal for consumers, it’s a step in the right direction,” Reinke said. “A wider adoption of recycle-ready structures and additional EPR policies may drive more municipalities to accept these materials curbside.”
Building on that momentum, some industry leaders emphasize the importance of EPR policies not just for compliance, but for funding the infrastructure improvements that make recycling work.
“The most important development to watch is the rise of state-level EPR laws,” Reser said. “These laws require companies to pay fees for the packaging they put into the market. The collected fees are then used to invest in recycling infrastructure, such as curbside collection programs.”
Sarah Paleg, sustainability director of Amcor Flexibles North America, added, “Currently, five states have passed EPR laws. These laws require producers of the packaged product to take responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their packaging, including its disposal and recycling. The states that have implemented EPR laws are California, Maine, Oregon, Colorado and Washington. Additional states have EPR bills under consideration this legislative session and we may see additional states join that list. Oregon’s EPR program will begin on July 1, and will become the first EPR program to come into effect for packaging in the United States. The additional states will follow with launching their programs through 2029.”
In contrast to the slower and more fragmented rollout of packaging legislation in the United States, countries in the United Kingdom and European Union are pushing ahead with more structured policy frameworks. These include anti-greenwashing laws, producer responsibility regulations and mandatory design-for-recyclability standards set to come into force in the next few years.
The shift toward sustainable packaging is gaining momentum across the industry. As legislation catches up with innovation, brands that act early will be better positioned to adapt, compete and contribute to a more circular future.
Read more about packaging solutions and trends for pet food and treats.
