A new pet food flexible packaging portfolio from Berry Global and Peel Plastics Products containing certified-circular plastic has received a Gold Award for Sustainability in the 2024 Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards from the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA).
Developed for Hill’s Pet Nutrition, a leading global pet nutrition company, the portfolio contains International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS-certified circular plastic, achieved by leveraging ExxonMobil’s Exxtend™ technology for advanced recycling. The new product demonstrates Hill’s Pet Nutrition’s continued commitment to improving sustainability. It showcases Berry Global’s and Peel Plastic Products’ manufacturing expertise in flexible packaging solutions using certified-circular materials.
“This new pet food flexible packaging portfolio is a perfect example of how collaboration across the value chain can help advance a circular economy,” said Wesley Porter, Business Development Director for Berry Global’s Flexibles Division. “The combination of advanced recycling and downstream supply chain and manufacturing expertise allowed us to deliver a more sustainable flexible packaging solution to the market compared to packaging made with 100% virgin resin.”
Advanced recycling technology helps capture the value of difficult-to-recycle plastics that previously went unrecycled, such as snack wrappers, food pouches, and plastic toys. Unlike other recycling technologies, the resulting certified-circular polymers are identical to those made from conventional feedstock and can be used in contact-sensitive, food-grade packaging.
This is an important benefit for pet food applications, which traditionally have exacting performance requirements in areas including organoleptic, barrier, and machinability. Because of these challenges, pet food packs cannot incorporate a high level of recycled content from mechanically recycled plastic waste. Certified-circular polymers provides a solution that enables pet healthcare companies like Hill’s Pet Nutrition participate in a circular economy by driving the demand for using plastic waste as a valuable feedstock.
"Packaging is an important aspect of how we deliver our products safely to pets around the world," said Peter Fallat, Senior Director of Global Packaging for Hill's Pet Nutrition. "An important step in our packaging sustainability goals is finding technologies to reduce the use of new, virgin plastic. We are delighted for this solution and congratulate Berry Global and Peel Plastic Products on this award."
The Sustainability Gold Award was presented at the FPA Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards Ceremony on March 20 as part of the FPA 2024 Annual Meeting in Tuscon, Ariz. The pet food flexible packaging portfolio will also be featured in an Innovation Spotlight at the FPA’s FlexForward® Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, in September.
