PET Food Processing - March 2019 - 73

sourced bio-based plastics," he says. "We're also
very actively developing the next generation of
recyclable flexible packaging, aiming to produce a
commercially viable, 100% recyclable, side-gusset
bag in pinch, foldover and flat bottom formats."
Another brand embracing bio-based materials is
Earthborn Holistic, part of Midwestern Pet Foods,
Inc., based in Evansville, Indiana. "A significant
challenge is finding packaging that's food safe to
keep our pet food and treats fresh, yet sustainably
produced and recyclable. Polyethylene plastic, traditionally used in most pet food packaging, is conventionally produced using fossil fuels such as oil
or natural gas," explains Katie McNulty, marketing coordinator. "Green polyethylene, used in all
Earthborn Holistic Venture packaging, is a bio-based
plastic made using Brazilian sugarcane."
According to McNulty, the cultivation of sugarcane
utilizes carbon dioxide and releases oxygen, reducing
greenhouse gas emissions and giving the plant-based
plastic a negative carbon footprint. Earthborn's Venture
PlantBag is also BPA-free and 100% recyclable through
a recycling program between Earthborn ReBorn and
TerraCycle, she adds.

Allure of aluminum

Constantia Flexibles has developed an aluminumaround, foil container system called EcoTainerAlu. The
system, mainly used for pet food, has a water-based
coating system that eliminates the emission of volatile
organic compounds. The package is recyclable in the
aluminum recycling stream, says Fry.
PTI offers another solution in a format for pet foods
and treats. "Pet food in plastic trays with a foil lid is a sustainable avenue to help differentiate from the can. The
plastic cup and the foil lid are recyclable like the can, and
the carbon footprint should be lower in terms of logistical
impact, like packaging weight, storage or shipping," explains Stauffer, who notes that the foil lid and plastic cup
can go in the same recycling bin in most communities.
Some sustainable packaging forms and materials are
already prominent in the pet food market. "In some
cases, organizations are moving away from plastic and
back to some of the paperboard solutions," reports Foster.
Aluminum and metal are also getting a closer look -
again. "A lot of products in the pet food market are aluminum-based, such as aluminum trays, and those are already recyclable. Aluminum lidding is already recyclable,
too," notes Fry. The same is true for cans used for wet pet
food. A can with a peel-off lid has long been recyclable.
The proverbial devil in the detail for these pet food
products, though, is how consumers are required by
their local municipalities to handle those items for

recycling. As Fry points out, "Every local community is
different. I can put clean aluminum in my recycling bin,
but my friend who lives two miles from me cannot."
When it comes to recycling packages, whether they
are made from aluminum metal, plastic, paper or another format, education is key, including information displayed on the package itself. The Sustainable Packaging
Coalition provides resources to help brands inform
consumers exactly how to recycle a package. The package label is one way to communicate that information,
and so are virtual resources like websites and social media platforms. At Constantia Flexibles, Fry says that as a
converter, the company can submit its package structure
to ensure it qualifies for such instructions.
Stauffer says that consumers also need to be educated
on how to handle pouches of pet foods and treats. "Some
pouches do have recyclability signs on them and that
means people will have to physically take them to the
store and get them recycled a different way," he remarks.
To encourage recycling of materials that can't be
handled by municipal recycling, Mars Petcare UK recently teamed up with TerraCycle on a recycling program in which pet owners drop off used pet packaging at
designated location to be recycled. This is being done as
Mars Petcare works toward its goal of 100% recyclable
packaging by 2025.
Midwestern Pet Foods is also working with TerraCycle.
"Consumers can search for the nearest pet store location
on TerraCycle's website and drop off packaging in a designated recycling bin. The pet food bags can be recycled into
a number of different products including dog frisbees,
water bowls, benches and picnic tables," says McNulty.
Education and collaboration is also crucial within
the pet food processing industry, points out Zhang. "If
brands can work together to adopt an industry-wide solution, or standard, I think it will facilitate adoption of
any sustainable package or program at the retailer and
consumer level," he says.
PFP

Some brands use
bio-based packaging
made with Brazilian
sugarcane, a highly
renewable resource
that actually reduces
greenhouse emissions
as it is harvested.
Peel Plastic Technologies

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