Sustainable Food Packaging — New Year's Resolutions

We knew 2018 was going to be a big year for eco-friendly packaging! Major brands are looking to continue the trend and start 2019 on a greener foot with sustainable food packaging initiatives. Here’s a quick recap of the resolutions companies are making in the new year:

Nestlé Gets Schooled

Packaging meets academia — packademia! Nestlé has unveiled their plans for the Nestlé Institute of Packaging Sciences. This organization, based in Switzerland, will develop green packaging solutions for the brand’s plethora of food and beverage products, and will enlist the help of academic partners among others.

“Packaging plays a crucial role in helping us deliver safe and nutritious products to our consumers,” says Nestlé Chief Technology Officer Stefan Palzer. “The new Institute of Packaging Sciences will enable us to accelerate the redesign of our packaging solutions.”

PepsiCo Loves PET

PepsiCo recently announced a goal that’s easy to remember: 25% by 2025. The beverage giant is working toward using recycled plastic as a quarter of its total plastic usage, but that’s only one factor in their grand plans for the next six years.

Critical to PepsiCo’s mission is PET plastic. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles are entirely plant-based and entirely recyclable. Pepsi will begin incorporating recycled PET in their packaging within the next two years, and hopes the material will make up 1/3 of their bottles by 2025.

Kellogg Takes a Big Bite

2025 is shaping up to be a big year for cereal, too. The Kellogg Company made a splash with a bold vision: 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging across their entire company. Kellogg has already made strides to eliminate single-use plastics and other wasteful materials internally, and is looking to partnerships to help them achieve their goal on the consumer side

In the nearer future, some may notice some differences during the most important meal of the day. The brand’s breakfast cereals will come in new recyclable bags in Europe, putting nearly 343 tons of plastic back into the system.

Thanks to organizations like Nestlé, PepsiCo and Kellogg, the future of sustainable food packaging is looking a lot greener. Our team of packaging mercenaries recently got a sneak peek at some of the technology that’s leading the way forward. Watch the E-Team take a bite out of PACK EXPO!