Flexible pet product packaging can’t be collected in curbside recycling bins. That means the majority of pouches and bags being produced in our industry most likely end up in a landfill. That’s not to say that flexible packaging is bad, in fact, its lighter weight provides significant environmental savings when it comes to carbon and water.
But can we do better? Can the industry innovate a way for consumers to recycle pet product packaging?
The Pet Sustainability Coalition seeks to answer this question through new research. PSC is uniquely positioned with representation from retailers, manufacturers, distributors, and suppliers to explore collaborative solutions that engage all sectors of the industry.
Beginning in November 2018, PSC will begin modeling what a successful store-take back program might look like for the pet industry. This modeling will determine how and where packaging can be collected, what quantity needs to be collected to provide financial benefit to recyclers, and what types of cleaning, sorting and transportation will be needed to shift the industry toward better recycling rates.
We aim to share these results in Spring 2019 at which point we will outline how companies of all types, sizes, and locations can participate.
For more information contact info@petsustainability.org
For tools and resources to improve your packaging visit our toolkit.
