PACKAGING For Pets and
PACKAGING For Pets and the Planet: Advancing Truly Sustainable Pet Food Packaging By Damien Maisonnial, Business Development Manager Pet Food, Mondi Consumer Flexibles Pet food packaging is expected to meet a wide range of demanding criteria: it must preserve its contents’ freshness and flavor for as long as possible, provide reliable protection during transport, communicate brand identity effectively – all while complying with legal and sustainability standards and remaining cost-efficient. At Mondi, our MAP2030 sustainability framework empowers teams across the business to develop circular packaging and paper solutions. In the following article, Damien Maisonnial shares practical examples of how sustainable pet food packaging can be realised – from circular design principles to cutting-edge retort stand-up pouches and other solutions developed at Mondi’s FlexStudios innovation hub. Photos: Mondi RetortPouch Recyclable Changing expectations in the pet food market Around the world, pets are increasingly regarded not just as animals, but as valued members of the family. This cultural shift is influencing every aspect of how we care for pets– including what we feed them and how that food is packaged. Despite inflation and rising costs, many pet owners are still willing to invest in high-quality, nutritious foods for their furry companions. And just like their own diets, consumers are now applying similar expectations to their pets’ food: it must be healthy, responsibly sourced, and sustainable across the entire supply chain. Of course, sustainable sourcing and production are only one part of the equation. Transport, storage, packaging, and shelf life are of equal importance when it comes to ensuring that both wet and dry pet food reaches consumers in optimal condition. Selecting the right packaging material is particularly challenging, as it must strike a careful balance between performance, appearance, sustainability, and compliance with evolving legislation – most notably the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). “As Europe’s leading supplier of pet food packaging, we’ve adopted a materialneutral approach,” explains Damien Maisonnial, Business Development Manager Pet Food at Mondi Consumer Flexibles. “Our extensive portfolio – spanning paper-based, plastic, and hybrid materials – combined with a broad array of formats, allows us to meet virtually every requirement, whether it’s for dry food, wet food or treats.” What pet food packaging needs to deliver Speaking of requirements: Pet food packaging must deliver on numerous fronts. For example, it often needs high barrier properties, especially when dealing with fatty or moist products such as cat food or dog treats. Without effective barriers, fats may leach through the pack, or moisture and oxygen may degrade the food’s quality and reduce shelf life. In the case of wet pet food, the packaging must also withstand elevated temperatures during sterilisation or pasteurisation processes. Pasteurisation typically involves exposure to temperatures between 70°C and 100°C, while sterilisation in autoclaves can exceed 120°C. These processes are essential to ensure food safety and long shelf life, but place significant demands on the packaging material. In addition to thermal resistance, the packaging must also be mechanically robust – capable of withstanding shocks, compression and abrasion during transit, storage, and everyday handling. Durability is especially crucial in e-commerce logistics, where protective shelving and display conditions found in brick-andmortar shops may be absent. Visual presentation remains just as important: printed information, branding, and decoration must remain intact and legible, even after repeated handling or contact with other packs. Equally, the packaging must offer excellent machine runnability – a quality that can only be optimised through close collaboration between pet food producers and packaging experts. Mono-material innovation and true circularity From a sustainability perspective, one of the most promising developments in flexible plastic packaging is the increasing viability of mono-material structures. These materials are designed for easier, more efficient recycling without compromising performance. “Thanks to significant advances in materials science and converting technology, we’re now able to achieve excellent barrier properties with monomaterial packaging,” says Maisonnial. “This 38 Technology & Marketing
PACKAGING represents a major step forward, as it enables true recyclability and helps keep valuable materials in circulation.” Recyclability in itself is not enough, however. True circularity requires that the material recovered from the recycling process is of sufficiently high quality to be used in the same type of packaging again – not just downcycled into less demanding applications. “Whenever packaging is downcycled into lowervalue products, the material’s potential is effectively lost,” Maisonnial explains. “Our goal is to enable closed-loop recycling, where the material retains its value across multiple lifecycles.” Large formats, larger challenges Bigger isn’t always better when it comes to packaging. Multi-kilogram dry food packs – while popular among cost-conscious consumers for their value – introduce a unique set of challenges. These large formats need to be particularly durable to handle rough treatment during transportation, storage, and consumer use. At the same time, they must remain sustainable and resource-efficient. In e-commerce especially, where individual items are handled more frequently and protective secondary packaging is minimal or non-existent, structural integrity becomes even more critical. However, increasing material usage to improve durability can conflict with sustainability goals – especially if extra materials are required. That’s why intelligent packaging design is so vital. It allows us to find a balance between material efficiency and protective performance, minimising environmental impact without compromising functionality. FlexiBag Reinforced - mega pure green One outstanding example is Mondi’s collaboration with mera, a family-run pet food company based in Germany. For mera’s 10kg packs of vegan dry dog food, Mondi developed the FlexiBag Reinforced – a recyclable, high-strength solution made from mono-PE. The bag incorporates 35% chemically recycled post-consumer content, certified under ISCC Plus, and is fully compatible with mera’s existing filling lines. This means the transition to a more sustainable solution An alliance of specialists Four specialists. A symphony of efficiency. Smart end-of-line packaging machines and transport systems, combined with professional project management and clever planning – united in perfect harmony. +49 (0) 9481 942 13 0 eol.group Issue 2 2025 39
