Packaging Recyclability

Pet food packaging is critical to ensuring the pet food is kept fresh and safe for pets. It also provides important factual and legal information about the product inside. However, we know pet owners are concerned about the impact of products on the environment.

Pet food packaging has a variety of formats made from different materials. Manufacturers carefully select the best option in order to ensure freshness, hygiene and safety. Currently, wet food pouch packaging is one of the most difficult challenges from a sustainability perspective.

Pouches are made from thin layers of different materials fused together during a lamination process. Local authorities across the UK currently do not yet have the capacity or capabilities to collect and process laminates.

However, there are initiatives currently underway to achieve a recyclable pouch and to improve the recycling infrastructure throughout the UK.  

PFMA is proud to be a supporter of the UK Plastic Pact. The Pact brings together the entire plastics value chain under one holistic approach and one ambitious set of targets. The aim is to eliminate the use of problematic plastics by 2025.       

Through our role as a supporting organisation, we will also look to encourage wider member engagement in this important programme.
 

Packaging Recyclability | PFMA 

PFMA and our members are active and committed to reducing the negative impacts of pet  food packaging. You can find out more in our paper on ‘Towards Circularity of Pet Food Packaging’. You can also speak to our members to find out more about their goals and commitments. 

You can also read more about our member stories here.