Plastic and Pet Food: Achieving Sustainability

The shift toward sustainability is essential for addressing climate change, preserving biodiversity, and ensuring long-term prosperity for people, pets, and the planet. At the individual and/or consumer level, almost everyone will agree that sustainability means making conscious choices e.g. reducing plastic use, conserving water, supporting ethical brands, and prioritizing energy efficiency.
 

Plastic has become an integral part of modern life. Its durability, versatility, and cost-effectiveness have made it the packaging material of choice. However, growing concerns about environmental sustainability and plastic pollution lead us to ask if plastic should continue to be the material of choice. As of 2015, approximately 6,300 MT of plastic waste had been generated, around 9% of which was recycled, 12% was incinerated, and 79% was accumulated in landfills. If current production and waste management trends continue, roughly 12,000 MT of plastic waste will be in landfills or the natural environment by 2050 (Geyer et al.; 2017). This article briefly examines plastic usage in the pet food sector, its benefits and challenges, and potential sustainable solutions.
 

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Plastic and its Widespread Usage

Plastics are synthetic polymers derived primarily from petrochemicals. Their lightweight nature, moisture resistance, and flexibility make them indispensable in food packaging, including pet food. The widespread use of plastic in food packaging serves various functions, such as preserving product freshness, preventing contamination, and enhancing convenience for consumers.
 

Plastic packaging in the pet food sector includes multi-layered bags, resealable pouches, rigid containers, and flexible films. These materials ensure product stability and extended shelf life and provide a barrier against oxygen and humidity. The pet food industry heavily relies on single-use plastics, which, despite their functional advantages, contribute to environmental impact.
 

Benefits of Plastic Usage in the Pet Food Industry

• Extended shelf life: Plastic packaging protects pet food from air, moisture, and light, thereby reducing spoilage and food waste.
   
• Cost-effectiveness: Compared to alternatives such as glass or metal, plastic is lightweight and less expensive to produce and transport.
   
• Convenience: Resealable pouches, tear-resistant bags, and portion-controlled packaging provide convenience to pet owners.
   
• Product safety and quality: Plastic packaging prevents contamination, ensuring that pet food remains safe for consumption.
   
  
  
• Branding and marketing: Plastic flexibility allows innovative packaging designs that enhance brand recognition and consumer appeal.
   

Challenges of Plastic Usage in the Pet Food Industry

Despite its numerous advantages, plastic usage poses significant environmental and sustainability challenges:
 

• Environmental pollution: A large portion of plastic packaging ends up in landfills and oceans, contributing to pollution and harming wildlife.
   
• Non-biodegradability: Most plastics take from 100 to 1,000 years to decompose, creating long-term waste management issues (as cited by Baberemu et al.; 2022).
   
• Microplastics contamination: The degradation of plastic packaging can lead to microplastics entering the ecosystem, potentially affecting animal and human health (UN Environmental Program, 2021).
   
• Recycling challenges: Pet food packaging often consists of multi-layered materials that are difficult to recycle due to the combination of plastics and other substrates.
   
• Dependence on fossil fuels: The production of plastic relies heavily on non-renewable petroleum resources, contributing to carbon emissions and climate change.
   

Sustainable Alternatives

Many plastic pet food bags and containers are designed for single use, leading to an accumulation of waste that is challenging to manage. Although recycling programs exist, the complexity of pet food packaging materials makes recycling inefficient or impossible in many cases.
 

• Biodegradable and compostable packaging: Materials like polylactic acid (PLA), derived from cornstarch or sugarcane, offer a compostable alternative to traditional plastics (Trivedi et al.; 2023). Other bioplastics made from algae, mushroom mycelium, and seaweed provide innovative solutions (Iyer et al.; 2023; Elkaliny et al.; 2024; Yang et al.; 2021). These materials break down naturally without leaving harmful residues.
   
• Recyclable mono-material packaging: Switching to single-layer recyclable materials, such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET), enhances the recyclability of packaging (Benyathiar et al.; 2022; T. M. Joseph et al.; 2024). Manufacturers can design packaging with easy-to-remove labels and reduce the use of mixed-material films.
   
• Paper-based packaging: Kraft paper and coated paperboard can replace plastic in some pet food packaging applications. Advances in barrier coatings enable paper packaging to maintain freshness and resist moisture.
   
  
• Reusable packaging and bulk refill systems: Implementing bulk refill stations at pet stores can reduce single-use packaging waste. Encouraging consumers to bring their reusable containers can minimize reliance on disposable packaging.
   
• Edible packaging: Emerging research explores the potential of edible packaging made from natural ingredients like starch, proteins, and seaweed (Patel, 2020). Still, in experimental stages, edible packaging could offer a waste-free solution.
   
• Upcycled and reclaimed plastic packaging: Some companies use recycled ocean plastic or post-consumer plastics to create new products like toys and laptops (North, 2024; Thakkar, 2024), reducing the demand for virgin plastic. However, this is not an easy task and would need the commitment to develop a global network of ocean-bound plastic supply chains. 

Industry Initiatives and Future Outlook

Many pet food companies are taking proactive steps toward sustainability. Leading brands are investing in research and development to explore eco-friendly packaging solutions. Companies are also adopting carbon-neutral strategies, reducing plastic usage, and educating consumers about responsible disposal practices.
 

Collaborations between pet food manufacturers, packaging suppliers, and recycling organizations are essential to improving waste management systems. Consumer demand will continue to drive innovation in sustainable packaging solutions.
 

Looking ahead, the future of pet food packaging perhaps lies in a circular economy model or where materials are designed for Reuse, Recycling, Repair, Remanufacture, Refurbish, or safe biodegradation, i.e., the 5Rs. Advances in material science, AI-driven waste management, and bio-based packaging will shape the industry's transition toward sustainability.
 

Final Thoughts

The impact of plastic usage in the pet food industry is a pressing environmental concern. While plastic offers undeniable benefits in food preservation, cost efficiency, and convenience, its sustainability challenges cannot be ignored. Moving toward biodegradable materials, recyclable packaging, and reusable solutions is crucial for reducing plastic waste and fostering sustainability. By embracing innovation and responsible practices, the industry can minimize its environmental footprint while continuing to provide high-quality nutrition for pets worldwide.


By Juan Gómez-Basauri, Ph.D. - Magellan LLC
Source: All Pet Food Magazine