FMCG Giants Deepen Sustainable Flexible Packaging Push: From Recyclable Retort Pouches to PCR Lidding Films as Global Demand Nears 37.5 Million Tonnes

Global FMCG leaders Unilever, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Mondelēz and Mars have jointly established a GBP 1 million Flexible Plastic Fund. The initiative invites more flexible packaging producers, retailers and recyclers to collaborate in advancing the UK flexible packaging recycling market; by increasing recovery volumes, it aims to expand the supply of recycled material, cut plastic pollution and support the industry's circular economy.

Smithers' report The Future of Global Flexible Packaging to 2026 forecasts global flexible packaging consumption at 31.5 million tonnes in 2021. By 2026, the market is expected to grow at a 3.4% compound annual rate to 37.5 million tonnes. Compared with rigid formats, flexible packaging offers advantages in product protection, resource efficiency, lighter weight and lower cost; as personalization becomes standard, packaging design solutions matter more than ever. The following developments offer useful inspiration for flexible packaging players.

First recyclable flexible retort pouch for pet food

Nestlé and Amcor have co-developed a recyclable pack, beginning with wet cat food, that can reduce the environmental footprint of consumer packaging by up to 60%.

Under the AmLiteHeatFlex recyclable pouch solution, Amcor and Nestlé introduced what is described as the world's first recyclable flexible retort pouch. The high-barrier pack made its commercial debut in Dutch stores in October 2020.

The retort pouch is a polypropylene (PP) structure protected by an ultra-thin AmLite transparent barrier coating. It combines high barrier performance with high-temperature resistance, replaces the conventional PET/AL/OPP build and can lower carbon emissions by 60%.

Recyclable dishwasher tablet packaging arrives

Unilever and Amcor worked together on a new recyclable e-commerce pack for the brand's dishwasher tablets, supporting Unilever's sustainability and e-commerce agendas. The packaging has launched in Europe for Sun All-in-1 in Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands and Portugal, and for Svelto in Italy.

Mengniu's double-layer eco yogurt lidding film: thinner and lighter, without quality loss

Mengniu brought together plastic raw material suppliers, packaging makers, recyclers and other value-chain partners to achieve circular reuse of plastic packaging for the first time in China's domestic food sector. The company has fully adopted post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic as outer packaging film. After a complete switch, this is expected to cut CO2 emissions by about 300 tonnes annually, reducing resource waste and carbon emissions at scale while contributing to the circular economy and environmental protection.

Guided by the 5R principle, Mengniu's eco-packaging research priorities include reducing food waste through packaging, packaging lightweighting, recycling and reuse, and degradability and recyclability.

Hangzhou Mitor turns distiller's grain protein into degradable packaging

Hangzhou Mitor New Material Technology Co., Ltd. recently reported a breakthrough in degradable packaging materials: it extracts soft protein from distiller's grains and blends it with fiber to create degradable packaging. The material costs less to produce than PBAT and PLA and has a shorter degradation cycle; a patent application is underway. Mitor has formed a strategic raw material supply partnership with Budweiser (China) and expects industrialization in 2024, with production cost per tonne potentially falling to around 10,000 yuan.

Glenroy launches a sustainable flexible packaging portfolio

US-based flexible packaging specialist Glenroy introduced its Sustainable Packaging Portfolio to help brand owners in food, pharmaceutical, pet food, health food, personal care and household products meet sustainability goals and tackle global waste.

Glenroy's sustainable portfolio uses recyclable film laminated pouches, including post-consumer recyclable (PCR) film laminated pouches that meet the How2Recycle store drop-off label program, with film recycling rates up to 53%. It also includes eco-friendly stand-up pouches made from post-consumer recycled plastic, with recyclable content up to 48%.

Maybelline FitMe® Matte + Poreless foundation pouch

Maybelline's FitMe® Matte + Poreless proposed a new e-commerce packaging concept that pairs a flexible pouch with the traditional rigid glass bottle. The pack is a travel pouch that is smaller in format but stronger in function, suited to e-commerce retail.

The flexible spray pouch is flatter; compared with today's glass bottles, it reduces packaging by 90%, enabling more products to be shipped.

GripTop anti-slip pouch

Flexinnovakft and Foltradekft collaborated to develop the GripTop anti-slip pouch.

The GripTop pouch uses micro-protrusions on its surface to deliver high slip resistance, keeping stacked pouches from sliding against one another. Conventional film pouches have a coefficient of friction of 0.20 to 0.35, while stacked GripTop pouches exceed 0.6. The anti-slip performance holds up in dusty or humid conditions. Because the surface protrusion material is fully compatible with polyethylene, the GripTop pouch is a fully recyclable PE pouch.

The future of bottled water: flexible pouch water

The pandemic has focused packaging water companies on one-off bagged water in flexible pouches. With relatively mature production technology, bagged water is seen as a strong candidate to become a mainstream household drinking water product. Many packaging water firms have told bagged water industry platforms they will respond to consumer demand and add one-off bagged water capacity for different households; forward-looking players are already moving early to develop the household one-off bagged water market.

Bagged water

Lightweight 5-10 liter packs are easy to carry and replace, allowing elderly users and children to handle them independently. The drinking process is sealed and has no contact with air, isolating harmful gases and addressing the secondary pollution linked to the gas-water exchange in bottled water. Lightweight packaging is low-carbon, energy-saving and easier to recycle or reuse, aligning with future environmental requirements.

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