PETS International market research on sustainable packaging in the pet industry

What drives manufacturers of packaging materials to develop sustainable packaging? And how do they keep up with the daily pressure to be sustainable? To find out PETS International conducted an anonymous survey amongst the top five packaging manufacturers in the pet industry.

What makes for sustainable packaging

To test the sustainability of packaging, manufacturers focus on three key elements: the ingredients to make the packaging, the production process and the recyclability of the waste. 

In the survey 80% of the respondents stated that they have found a sustainable material alternative to material used in traditional packaging. The most popular amongst these are the use of recycled PET flakes and mono-materials. PET flakes are made of recycled plastic and come in variations of strength and durability. Mono-materials consist of only a single material, which helps in the recyclability of the waste. 

Some of the packaging manufacturers have used biodegradable packaging in the past. However, according to one of the respondents: “Without the right infrastructure to collect these materials, the biodegradable materials get mixed up on the ‘normal’ landfills. Making it less sustainable than PET flakes or mono-materials, as the separation process costs a lot of energy.” 

Challenges in sustainable packaging?

Of the respondents 80% have indicated that they have found sustainable alternatives to meet the specific requirements of packing materials. Ensuring freshness, the weight, the shape, the design, the strength of packaging; all have an influence on the type of materials that are available to use. 

Innovation drivers

The drivers for the development of sustainable packaging are, according to the respondents, governments setting standards, awareness amongst consumers, industry studies, and conferences where knowledge is shared and partnerships are started. 

One of the respondents stated: 

“We believe that working in partnerships is key to finding a solution for plastic waste by driving innovation and broad systemic change throughout the plastic value chain with a focus on replacing, reducing and recycling. We are actively collaborating with various partners along the value chain to make the circular economy for plastic-based packaging a reality.”

Complexities

Every day we hear how plastics are causing harm to the environment. Pressure from the public and politics are increasingly pushing packaging manufacturers to be more sustainable. However, this might seem easier than it is.

Respondents indicate that the complexities that come with the production of packaging cannot be solved overnight. To ensure sustainable packaging and to meet all the requirements for the numerous pet products that exist, extensive research is needed. Without the right subsidies in place to stimulate the development of sustainable packaging the task at hand is even harder as packaging is traditionally a very price driven industry.