The packaging of Purina pet food has become much more sustainable. Nestlé no longer uses multimaterials with laminated aluminum but recyclable packaging made from a single material.
The challenges of aluminum laminates
Packaging made of multiple layers of plastic with a layer of aluminum in the middle hinders the recycling process. They are mainly used for drink pouches for juices, pet food, baby food, soups, and sauces. This means that these materials cannot be recycled. The transition to packaging made from just one material presents a major technical challenge, especially for products that require a high oxygen and moisture barrier and long shelf life. This is especially true for packaging that is sterilized, such as wet pet food. Nestlé took on the challenge and revamped the Purina pet food range to make the packaging in this category recyclable.
Innovation
Nestlé has several projects running in parallel. Simpler packaging has already made the transition to recyclability. For more complex materials, such as the multiple compositions of plastic and aluminum, more time is needed to address all the technical challenges that come with the design of these packages and the packaging process itself. All bags of dry cat food from Purina ONE no longer consist of PET/PE, but only of PE. Part of this also comes from recycled material (rPE). For wet pet food, the transition is still in progress.