Toward a sustainable future for pet food packaging

FEDIAF welcomes the initiative as it is a great opportunity to encourage harmonization across the EU. It will also encourage Member States to rely on a European framework that contributes to the functioning of the single market. However, there are some points to consider in the current proposal that need further clarification and precision – packaging recyclability, reduction, recycled content, plus labeling.

Important changes to come

Pet food packaging – pouches, cans, bags and trays – is critical to ensure that the product is kept safe and fresh and retains its nutritional quality. It’s also providing important factual and legal information to pet owners about the food they are purchasing for their pet.

The European pet food industry is fully committed to reducing the environmental impact of pet food packaging and welcomes the updates to the European Commission’s Circular Economy package. As the changes in packaging legislation might have a significant effect on the industry, FEDIAF’s Environment and Sustainability Working Group is closely monitoring the development of this policy.

Packaging recyclability

There are a number of innovations aiming to simplify packaging in order to improve its recycling performance. But there is a need for a common EU definition of recyclability, based on the potential of the packaging material to be recycled while considering existing and emerging technology and infrastructure.

Collecting, sorting and recycling technologies and infrastructure should be further developed across the EU to meet common minimum quality requirements. Rules should also be established – and harmonized – for the safe recycling of plastic materials other than PET into food contact materials.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, which focus on the producer’s responsibility for their product’s impact in the final stage of its life cycle, are in place in a number of EU countries. Under these schemes, producers are responsible for waste management. That includes the collection of used goods, plus sorting and treating for recycling. EPR schemes should be enhanced to increase packaging waste collection and sorting.

Packaging reduction

We support measures to reduce and improve packaging that are based on scientific evidence, and follow a lifecycle approach, as we recognize the role of packaging in protecting pet food safety.

Again, pet food packaging is critical to ensure that the product is kept safe and fresh and that it retains its nutritional quality.

Plastic recycled content

Increasing the recycled content in packaging is key to reduce the use of resources and reach a circular economy. We need to ensure that the recycled plastic materials used in packaging that comes into contact with food are safe – and readily available to the pet food industry.

Chemical recycling is a technology that complements mechanical systems when flexible plastic packaging is recycled. We need certainty that, firstly, we will be able to use the recycled content produced by this technology to support our industry’s circular economy and, secondly, that chemical recycling will be accounted for in recycled content targets.

Harmonized labeling

Waste management guidance can empower consumers to contribute to a more circular economy. The pet food industry welcomes the proposal to develop an EU-harmonized labeling scheme that will enable consumers to improve their packaging waste sorting. Our request is that no new national packaging initiatives are introduced until the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is in place.

Significant progress

The European pet food industry has been making significant progress in reducing and optimizing the use of packaging materials, finding sustainable alternatives to non-recyclable plastic, and increasing the use of recycled content.

As the Commission’s proposal progresses, FEDIAF is keen to highlight key points that will ensure pet food safety, essential to the health and welfare of over 300 million pets in the EU, alongside the broader policy objectives aiming to minimize packaging and waste.