Mars Petcare is getting ready to deploy food safe recycled plastic in wet petfood packaging as part of its global commitment to increase recycled content in its plastic packaging. Leading cat food brand Sheba will be the first to have the updated packaging formats available in Europe in 2022 as part of Mars Petcare’s efforts to give pet parents more sustainable choices.
The move comes in the context of a joint partnership of Mars Petcare with Sabic and Huhtamaki to develop and deploy recycled plastic in pet food pouches using advanced recycling technologies.
Barry Parkin, chief procurement and sustainability officer at Mars, Incorporated, said: ‘We are pleased to share this progress in our sustainable petfood packaging journey. Over the past year, we have been closely working with Sabic and Huhtamaki, continually testing and learning and scaling up the recycled plastic content in our petfood packs. As part of our Sustainable in a Generation plan, we are committed to doing our part to help drive a circular economy, which includes redesigning our packages for circularity. The fact that we are now able to introduce recycled content into our Sheba pouches helps accelerate our journey to achieve 30% average recycled content in our plastic packaging and to reduce by 25% our use of virgin plastic.’
Petfood packaging is considered to be a very challenging packaging format to utilise recycled content due to thermal processing needed to create the highest quality. By using ISCC Plus certified recycled material, Mars Petcare brings to life a technology that can provide a step change in the sustainability journey of the pet food industry.
Deri Watkins, regional president at Mars Pet Nutrition Europe, said: ‘At Mars Petcare, everything we do is focused on our Purpose: A Better World For Pets – one that is sustainable for pets, people, and for the planet. As we get prepared to deploy food safe recycled content in wet pet food pouches, it is only fitting that it is with our iconic Sheba brand, which through its work on ocean health strives to make a meaningful and measurable difference in the world. Our consumers want more than just quality food for their pets, and we are pleased that this innovation enables us to provide pet parents with more environmentally sustainable products.’
Today, all of Sheba aluminium trays, cans and cardboard sleeves are commonly recycled in key markets and with the deployment of this new wet petfood packaging, the Mars Petcare brand is taking another step forward in meeting its global goal of designing bag and pouch materials for recyclability.
This work is part of the company’s mission to help create a healthy planet where all can thrive – a belief that is at the heart of its $1 billion Sustainable in a Generation Plan.
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