Sustainable packaging

Despite the pressures caused by the pandemic, sustainable packaging has emerged as a top priority as consumers show more interest in their environmental footprint and that of the overall food system.

Two-thirds (67%) of consumers consider it important that the products they buy are in recyclable packaging, and the same percentage consider themselves environmentally aware — the same share as before the pandemic, according to Trivium Packaging’s 2021 Global Buying Green Report. The report is based on a survey conducted with Boston Consulting Group with 15,000 consumers in Europe, North America and South America. 

More than half (54%) take sustainable packaging into consideration when selecting a product. Younger consumers — those 44 years and younger — are leading the charge, with 83% reporting that they are willing to pay more for it, compared to 70% of all consumers. However, the pandemic has caused about one in three consumers to lower the importance they place on sustainable packaging.

Trivium’s research tracks with other efforts to quantify consumers’ sentiments during this time. A 2020 Study from Shorr Packaging found that two-thirds of shoppers who have made changes in their purchasing behaviors during the pandemic are paying more attention to packaging. Fifty-eight percent of survey respondents reported being "likely" or "very likely" to select products that use recyclable or reusable packaging.

This is especially true among younger consumers. Millennials are more likely to buy sustainable products than other generations, while Gen Z is emerging as a generation that is willing to spend more for products that meet their sustainability standards.

In response to that unwavering demand, a number of consumer brands have made strides towards more sustainable packaging materials over the past year. In 2020, Nestlé earmarked 2 billion Swiss francs ($2.1 billion) to support eco-friendly alternatives. A range of manufacturers are testing packaging that uses upcycled food, recycled materials and that swaps plastic for paper or other seemingly more sustainable options.

Plastic has been top of mind for many consumers. The report from Trivium — a manufacturer of metal packaging — found that 55% of consumers considered plastic as "harmful," and 63% connected the material with ocean pollution. A number of frozen food manufacturers including Danone and Mondelez have signed on to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Global Commitment to eliminate plastic pollution. This effort aims to achieve 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable plastic packaging by 2025. 

Swapping out conventional packaging for eco-friendly alternatives is not an easy task, however. In many cases, switching to sustainable packaging materials can cost a company 25% more compared to traditional packaging. These newer options may not perform like their conventional counterparts, either, especially when it comes to product freshness and being able to withstand temperature changes. Consumers’ willingness to pay more for products with sustainable packaging could help the industry absorb the increased costs around making the switch. 

Despite the clear momentum towards sustainable packaging, Trivium’s study suggests that there is still more work to be done in educating consumers — especially about which materials are and can be recycled. Survey respondents believed that 48% of metal was recycled, when the real rate is 64%, according to figures from Global Recycling and the International Aluminum Institute cited in the report. However, the recycling rates for glass, plastic and liquid cartons were much lower than consumers expected. The report blamed the misconceptions on mixed messages in labeling and marketing materials around packaging as well as different local recycling practices. Trivium is hoping to resolve some of the confusion through its standardized Metal Recycles Forever logo and other educational resources.

Figuring out the most effective way to help consumers make educated purchasing decisions is not a new endeavor for the food industry. Although consumers report being influenced by sustainability initiatives, many do not notice these claims on packaging, according to a 2018 study from QuadPackaging and Package Insight. Many attribute the ineffectiveness of on-pack sustainability messaging to the serious label fatigue that some consumers suffer. Brands that want to reach consumers through sustainable packaging efforts may need to do more than simply add a label claim or logo to catch consumers’ attention.

Coors Light will begin moving out of plastic rings this year from its packaging globally where parent Molson Coors owns the brewing operations in favor of fully recyclable and sustainably sourced cardboard-wrap carriers, the company said in a statement. 

To support the move to more sustainable packaging, Molson Coors said it will invest $85 million in its operations. The money will enable Coors Light to start the transition while allowing Molson Coors to upgrade machinery to allow its entire North American portfolio — covering more than 30 brands that currently use plastic rings — to use cardboard wrap carriers by the end of 2025. 

Many sustainability-minded food companies, from Nestlé and PepsiCo to General Mills and AB InBev, have improved their packaging to help them meet their own environmental goals. Coors Light would be the largest beer brand in North America to move away from plastic rings, Molson Coors said.

For many consumers concerned about their food, packaging has become a major factor in deciding what to buy.

More than two-thirds of consumers consider it important that the products they buy are in recyclable packaging, according to Trivium Packaging’s 2021 Global Buying Green Report. A separate study conducted during the pandemic by Shorr Packaging found 58% of consumers said they were likely or very likely to purchase food products in packaging that clearly states it is reusable or recyclable.

With that in mind, companies like Molson Coors can no longer just depend on the taste and ingredients of the product itself to attract consumers but increasingly what the offering is packaged in. As more CPGs overhaul their packaging to make it more environmentally friendly, competitors have no choice but to respond or risk getting passed over on grocery store shelves.

"Our business, and Coors in particular, has a long history of using packaging innovation to protect our environment, and today we are building on that rich legacy,” said Gavin Hattersley, Molson Coors' CEO.

Molson Coors estimated the move to cardboard-wrap will save 1.7 million pounds of plastic waste annually by 2025. The Coors Light announcement moves Molson Coors closer to its goal of ensuring its packaging is 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable, and consumer-facing plastic packaging is made from at least 30% recycled content by 2026.

The beer giant behind brands such as Miller, Blue Moon and Milwaukee's Best no doubt is using insight it collected from its packaging efforts in other parts of the world with its latest initiative.

Last year, Molson Coors removed plastic rings across all major brands sold in the U.K. and transitioned to recyclable cardboard sleeves. The company also adopted more sustainable plastic rings in Canada in 2021, the first step in a longer-term goal to eliminate plastic rings entirely. Molson Coors also noted its Coors brand debuted the two-piece recyclable aluminum can in 1959, which it intentionally did not patent.

What started out as a few companies making changes to sustainable packaging has quickly gained momentum across the industry.

Nestlé is moving at least some of it Carnation Breakfast Essentials offerings from plastic bottles to Tetra Pak cartons made with paper it claims is responsibly sourced. General Mills' Nature Valley Crunchy granola bars moved to fully recyclable plastic wrappers and PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division is introducing a compostable bag for its Off The Eaten Path brand. Coca-Cola has introduced bottles made from 100% recycled plastic material while Mars Wrigley has partnered with Danimer Scientific to create biodegradable wrappers for Skittles. 

The alcohol space is making the transition too. Bacardi said it would transition all its spirits brands to 100% biodegradable plastic packaging made with plant-based oils by 2023. Corona has unveiled sustainable packaging that repurposes barley straw into packaging material for its six-packs. And Danish brewing company Carlsberg is developing what it describes as the world’s first paper beer bottle.

PepsiCo will reduce the use of virgin plastic per serving by 50% across its global food and beverage portfolio by 2030, and incorporate half recycled content in its plastic packaging as part of a new initiative called Pep+.

The beverage and snack giant also said it would focus on scaling new business models that require little or no single-use packaging, noting efforts to expand its SodaStream sparkling-water business.

PepsiCo's standard of measurement will be the amount of plastic used to serve 12 ounces of beverages and 1 ounce of food, Reuters reported, allowing the company to more easily measure its use of the packaging material.

As more companies have pledged to curtail their waste, few materials have been targeted as fiercely as plastic. PepsiCo and archrival Coca-Cola have been hit especially hard by critics who have said the makers of sodas, bottled waters, teas and sports drinks are not doing enough to reduce their packaging impact.

Coca-Cola estimates it produces 120 billion bottles of single-use plastic each year, while a report from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation said PepsiCo consumes 2.3 million metric tons of plastic annually.

Last year, Coca-Cola introduced new bottles made from 100% recycled plastic material. In 2018, the maker of Diet Coke and Sprite pledged to collect and recycle the equivalent of a bottle or can for every one it sells by 2030, make 100% of its packaging recyclable by 2025 and use 50% recycled material in its bottles and cans by 2030.

Similar to other CPG companies, PepsiCo is no stranger to making promises to reduce its environmental footprint, but its newest announcement appears to embrace a more ambitious agenda. Just three years ago, PepsiCo vowed to reduce 35% of its virgin plastic content across its beverage portfolio by 2025. Now it's targeting a 50% cut in beverage and food by 2030.

"Pep+ is the future of our company," Ramon Laguarta, PepsiCo’s Chairman and CEO, said in a statement. "It reflects a new business reality, where consumers are becoming more interested in the future of the planet and society."  

During the pandemic, sustainable packaging has emerged as a top priority as consumers show more interest in their environmental footprint and that of the overall food system. This has likely intensified pressure on CPGs to go beyond their earlier commitments.

Nearly two-thirds of consumers consider it important that the products they buy are in recyclable packaging, according to Trivium Packaging’s 2021 Global Buying Green Report. The report also found more than half (54%) take sustainable packaging into consideration when selecting a product.

In addition to its commitment to reduce its use of virgin plastic, PepsiCo is tapping into the sustainability halo offered by its SodaStream platform.

The sparkling water maker, purchased by PepsiCo for $3.2 billion in 2018, allows consumers to use a machine to make a beverage they can load into their own containers, curtailing the need for new plastic bottles. If PepsiCo can expand the system into new markets and entice consumers with additional flavors, it could avoid the need for more than 200 billion plastic bottles by 2030, the company said.

The New York beverage and snack company also noted it has been investing in food packaging technology and is now introducing a fully compostable bag made with plant-based materials, starting with its Off The Eaten Path brand. PepsiCo said it is willing to work with other companies to license the same technology at no cost to build momentum for a circular food packaging system.

Greenpeace, which has been critical of CPGs' efforts to address sustainability, had mixed reviews about PepsiCo's sustainability push. John Hocevar, oceans campaign director at Greenpeace USA, said the sector produces trillions of items each year that are packaged in throwaway plastic, something that can't be overcome by recycling.

"Increasing recycling rates and recycled content brings some incremental gains, but as long as that remains the focus of the sector's attention the problem will continue to worsen," Hocevar said. "It is encouraging to hear about Pepsi's plans to grow the SodaStream part of their business, but the company needs to set ambitious reuse/refill targets for all products and brands."

Pulpex, a packaging technology company co-founded by Diageo, partnered with Finnish renewable materials company Stora Enso in May 2021 to mass produce 100% recyclable bottles and containers made from sustainably sourced, formed wood fiber pulp. They plan to have a high-speed production line operational in 2022.

Pulpex will use Stora Enso's formed fiber material to create paper bottles for global brands in applications including alcohol and nonalcohol beverages and liquid foods, along with home and personal care products. The Pulpex bottle can be embossed, labeled and colored, according to the companies.

Diageo and PepsiCo have committed to using Pulpex technology in their packaging as founding partners of a consortium of CPG companies who together plan to produce 750 million paper bottles per year. This partnership would help advance that effort, and could assist both beverage companies in meeting their broader sustainable packaging goals. 

Diageo and venture management company Pilot Lite launched Pulpex Limited in 2020 to create "the world's first ever 100% plastic free paper-based spirits bottle, made entirely from sustainably sourced wood." The company had aimed to debut the bottle with Diageo's Johnnie Walker scotch whisky in 2021. Diageo said the bottle was designed to be fully recyclable in standard waste streams. In launching it, the Smirnoff and Guinness manufacturer would be one step toward meeting its goal to have all of its have all its packaging be widely recyclable by 2030 as part of its 10-year sustainability action plan.

In 2020, PepsiCo said it planned to pilot branded paper bottles with Pulpex’s technology in the nonalcoholic beverage space, which the soda and snacks giant said was being performance tested as of October 2021. With its involvement in the Pulpex consortium, PepsiCo is targeting its broader sustainability goal of making 100% of its packaging recyclable, compostable or biodegradable by 2025.

Pulpex and Stora Enso's bottles are 100% PET-free, meaning they can decompose easily and also be recycled like paper, according to the companies. They note that 80% of paper and cardboard is recycled in the U.S. and European Union, while that figure is closer to 30%-40% for plastic, and 75%-80% for glass and aluminum.

That said, while paper products have a higher recycling rate, PET plastic bottles are widely accepted for recycling and in demand among recyclers. The Consumer Brands Association reported that the secondary market for recycled PET beverage bottles and jars jumped 28% in 2020.

While paper packaging can be more sustainable, this also depends on how it’s produced. When paper packaging is sealed with materials like plastic or resin, it’s unable to be recycled, as reported by Forbes. Brands often use these materials to reduce leaks and improve the consumer experience. Even common alternatives like TetraPak have to be separated by layer before a recycling facility can take them.

Companies' pursuit of sustainable packaging is happening as overall consumer demand for new options grows. Two-thirds of consumers said that they consider it important for the products they buy to have sustainable packaging, according to Trivium Packaging’s 2021 Global Buying Green Report. 

In recent years, other beverage companies have tackled the challenge of adopting more environmentally friendly packaging from different angles, with a shift away from plastic. Beverage giant Keurig Dr Pepper, which owns Evian, 7-Up and other brands, has committed to cutting the use of new plastics in packaging by 25% by 2025 by increasing its use of recycled content, redesigning packaging and other measures, and aims to use 100% recyclable or compostable packaging by the same deadline. Coca-Cola is moving to 100% recyclable plastic packaging across its entire portfolio, and away from aluminum use in some of its smaller drink offerings.

Coca-Cola scored the highest for packaging sustainability among 50 consumer-facing companies in a report from nonprofit As You Sow. The Corporate Plastic Pollution Scorecard 2021 graded companies on factors including their packaging design, the amount of recycled content in their packaging, and their financial support of recycling efforts.

The beverage giant earned a "B" from the nonprofit for its transparency around its packaging use, strong commitment to recycling and its support of producer responsibility initiatives. Other food and beverage companies were graded "C+" — including Keurig Dr Pepper and Nestlé — or worse, with eight earning an "F." As You Sow’s Waste Program Coordinator, Kelly McBee, said the greatest areas of improvement came with companies' pledges to make packaging 100% recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2025, as well as commitments to improve packaging design.

As You Sow is used to holding CPGs' feet to the fire to get them to adopt more sustainable practices. After the nonprofit filed a shareholder proposal that would compel Keurig Dr Pepper to report how much of its plastic waste escapes into the environment, the beverage company committed to cutting its use of virgin plastic by 25% by 2025. The group triggered similar commitments from PepsiCo and Mondelēz.

The year 2025 is a popular packaging goalpost for many food and beverage CPGs, many of whom are signatories on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's global effort to adopt a circular economy for plastic by that time. Coca-Cola has pledged to make 100% of its packaging recyclable by 2025. And in February 2021, Coca-Cola rolled out bottles made from 100% recycled plastic across its portfolio.

Kraft Heinz also committed to making 100% of its packaging globally recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025. However, the company received a "D" score in the As You Sow report for reasons such as limited packaging data transparency and low financial contributions to recycling efforts.

As You Sow's McBee said that there is reason to push companies to follow through on their 2025 pledges and do more.

“I think there is danger there of the public seeing these announced goals and being like ‘Oh that’s great, they’re doing so well,' but not having the context of how much more is needed,” McBee said.

The report details how companies' plastic reduction goals had increased "ninefold" since 2019, when only two had such commitments. However, only 18 of the 50 companies tracked by As You Sow currently have pledges to reduce their plastic.

Some commitments, such as PepsiCo’s pledge to halve its use of virgin plastic by 2025, only amount to “half-steps” since they perpetuate reliance on plastic, McBee said. The beverage and snack giant earned a "D+" grade from As You Sow for its efforts around sustainable plastic packaging.

McBee said that Unilever made one of the best commitments among the 50 CPGs that As You Sow ranked. The food giant, which scored a "C," committed to cutting out a third of its plastic altogether by 2025. However, she disputes the company's claim that reaching its goal would require a 100,000-ton decrease in plastic, saying that this number would only represent one-seventh of its plastic use.

McBee said the nonprofit is also fearful that companies will “kind of overcorrect” in response to consumer demand for sustainable packaging by embracing a type of compostable packaging that is not easy for consumers to process and would end up in landfills anyway. In 2021, PepsiCo announced a compostable bag for its Off The Eaten Path brand.

In the report, the nonprofit laid out recommendations for CPGs to make their packaging less plastic-reliant. These included phasing out flexible plastic, getting their packaging certified as recyclable by a third party, and donating more money to recycling efforts. As a way to show the public their dedication to sustainability, McBee said, the nonprofit encourages companies to donate a specific dollar amount per metric ton of plastic used, and to report those donations.

According to the report, "more than twice as many companies" compared to 2020 participated or financed research into recycling infrastructure in 2021, though that total makes up only 5% of the $17 billion in funding the group says is needed.

Nature Valley Crunchy granola bars got the first fully recyclable plastic wrappers in early 2021, a first for the category. The new wrappers are a step toward the General Mills brand's goal of having 100% recyclable packaging by 2025.

The wrappers are made with an advanced processing technology that uses unique polyethylene polymers. General Mills did not patent the wrapper and "is welcoming other food brands to apply the technology to their product portfolios," according to a press release.

Single-use plastics, like the kind commonly used to wrap snacks, are an increasing environmental problem, especially because most cannot be recycled. In 2018, discarded packaging made up 82.2 million tons of waste — 28.1% of all waste that year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In that year, 14.5 million tons of plastic packaging was made, and 10 million tons ended up in landfills.

A recyclable snack wrapper could be a game changer for sustainability. And if this one truly is effective, it could help General Mills and several other CPGs meet their environmental commitments.

"As the creator and share leader of the [granola] bar category, we feel a responsibility to continue innovating and encouraging future solutions that could make recycling wrappers even easier,” Brian Higgins, General Mills grain snacks business unit director said in a written statement.

These wrappers can be recycled by dropping them off at How2Recycle centers in grocery stores nationwide. The plastic itself can be turned into synthetic lumber and decking equipment, according to General Mills. And there's adequate notice to consumers that they can recycle the wrappers: Messaging on the box and on each individual wrapper explains that the packaging can be recycled at grocery store drop-offs.

The wrappers themselves have a slightly different look and feel than the single-use ones they are replacing, but nothing that consumers are likely to notice. These are not like the compostable packaging PepsiCo debuted for its SunChips snacks in 2010, which was changed after consumers complained it was too noisy. According to General Mills, the new wrappers still provide the necessary barrier to preserve the product's freshness and do not impact its shelf life. 

While the recyclable wrappers can do the same job as their predecessors, General Mills still faces some challenges to truly making a difference with the new packaging. A recyclable wrapper is useless if it isn't actually recycled. According to statistics from the Hartman Group’s Sustainability 2019 report cited by General Mills, 70% people in the U.S. want to decrease plastic waste but don’t know how. 

In 2017, How2Recycle said more than 225 million pounds of material were recycled through store drop off, and a report on plastic recycling done for the American Chemistry Council says the How2Recycle label has helped people become aware of plastic recycling. General Mills noted more than 90% of people in the United States are within 10 miles of a store drop-off recycling location.

While 225 million pounds of recycled plastic waste in a year through How2Recycle is commendable, it's a drop in the bucket compared to the total annual waste that comes from plastic packaging. As Nature Valley — and other snack brands — roll out recyclable wrappers, it's incumbent on them to also promote and educate consumers on how to recycle them. As a major player in the granola bar space, Nature Valley already has the megaphone to start this initiative. The brand is working with nongovernmental organizations The Recycling Partnership and the Wrap Recycling Action Program, and created a multichannel educational campaign.

If it can successfully promote the packaging and how to recycle it, General Mills is likely to reap the benefits — both in terms of its sustainability reports and in sales. According to a study done during the pandemic by Schorr Packaging, 58% of consumers said they were likely or very likely to purchase food products in packaging that clearly states it is reusable or recyclable. In a separate study, Kearney found the number of consumers who take the environment into consideration when buying food has been on the rise, especially during the pandemic. In 2020, 83% of consumers said they felt that way, up from 71% in 2019. 

Mondelēz is pledging to reduce its use of virgin plastic in rigid plastic packaging by at least 25%, or by 5% in its overall plastic packaging portfolio by 2025, according to a statement. It aims to reach its target by eliminating plastic material, increasing its use of recycled content and adopting reuse models for its product portfolio. This goal expanded on the company's promise to become more eco-friendly.

The company has also called for a "reasonable" federal recycling scheme in the United States for flexible plastic films and other plastics. Mondelēz uses the lightweight plastic to lower its environmental footprint, but believes that recycling infrastructure improvements are needed for flexible films.

The snack giant invests more than $30 million each year in technology, resources and recycling infrastructure. Between 2019 and 2025, it expects to spend about $300 million toward plastic sustainability efforts. Although there is no federal framework for plastics recycling, Mondelēz's efforts could greatly benefit from one.

The company is close to hitting its earlier goal to use 5% recycled content by weight in all of its plastic packaging and to design all packaging for recyclability by 2025. According to Mondelēz, 94% of its packaging is already designed to be recycled. But targeting its use of new plastic puts it in step with announcements by other large food and beverage manufacturers. Coca-Cola also rolled out a goal to reduce its use of new plastic by 20% compared to 2018, and Nestlé is spending $2.1 billion to shift from virgin plastic packaging to food-grade recycled products. 

Using recyclable or compostable goods isn't the only way to reduce packaging waste. In recent years, technologies have been introduced to completely do away with some parts of packaging. Südpack, a German company, found a way to get rid of the tray commonly used in meat products and developed a plastic seal that uses 40% less plastic than the film that is currently used to keep meat fresh. General Mills' Nature Valley brand unveiled a recyclable wrapper and has chosen not to patent the material. As a snack company producing treats like Ritz crackers and Oreos, Mondelēz could adapt the wrapper to fit its needs. 

Companies' new initiatives aimed at reducing their impact on the environment have a promising future. Consumers are more interested in reducing the use of plastics, with a 2019 poll from PBS NewsHour showing that 24% of adults in the U.S. are willing to pay 5% more in order to have more eco-friendly everyday plastics available for use.

However, manufacturers' commitments to use recyclable packaging is just one piece of the puzzle. Developing a recycling framework for plastic packaging is another. 

"Increasing recyclability of materials is a great start, but we need actual recycling rates of various materials to increase," Christine Montenegro McGrath, vice president and chief of impact for Mondelēz, said in a statement. "Compared to rigid plastics like PET, flexible plastic films, like the flow wraps we use on our snacks, are still difficult to collect, sort and reprocess economically, because the infrastructure doesn’t exist yet for this to be done at scale."

While there is not currently a federal program in place to support recycling food packaging waste, something may be coming down the pipeline. As a presidential candidate, Joe Biden said that the United States should phase out the use of plastic shopping bags, and community and environmental groups have pushed him to take actions to reduce plastic packaging entering the waste stream. 

Mondelēz's goal came as investors are also putting pressure on Big Food and other companies to limit single-use plastic packaging after the United States failed to sign a 2018 agreement with other G7 countries limiting the use of single-use plastics by 2040. 

The snack giant's stepped-up efforts on plastic packaging could get a needed boost by a greater federal commitment toward recycling and sustainability.

Almost half of consumers started buying more frozen foods during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a 2021 report from The Freedonia Group. Seven in 10 became focused on maintaining a stockpile of food at home. During the pandemic, 39% of consumers sought out single-serving or individually wrapped products, which use larger amounts of packaging materials.

Prepackaged foods, including frozen varieties, also saw higher sales than fresh produce stored in loose boxes because of health concerns. The increase in frozen food purchases since 2020 added momentum to consumers' demand for more sustainable packaging materials.

Frozen food purchases have been on a steady climb since COVID-19 first hit. The items that saw the biggest tailwinds, as of March 2021, included pizza (37%), vegetables (37%), entrees (27%) and poultry (26%). A few other items that saw a boost include beef, breakfast products, side dishes, seafood, fruit and desserts.

Between November 2019 and November 2020 alone, frozen food sales climbed 17.4%, according to data from IRI and the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association. That trend persisted into 2021, with frozen foods driving center store sales growth. Nearly every frozen product category posted double-digit sales increases, according to a report from the American Frozen Food Institute and the Food Industry Association (FMI). Freedonia Group found U.S. shipments of frozen foods are slated to hit $108 billion by 2024, representing a 2.5% increase each year, according to the report. That figure is not only influenced by higher demand, but it also reflects food manufacturers adding a variety of new frozen foods — including healthy, organic and clean label offerings — to their lineups.

With consumers increasing demand for frozen foods and individually-wrapped items, the packaging industry is scrambling to keep up. New demand for frozen food packaging has spurred innovation, including improvements around microwavable products, such as steamable packaging. Advancements in cold-chain technology and smart packaging that gives off alerts when the temperature changes can help meet increasing need.

Sustainability is a major topic among consumers, who are becoming more concerned about where the packaging from their food winds up. The Freedonia Group report notes a number of leading frozen food manufacturers have signed on to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Global Commitment to eliminate plastic waste — which entails eliminating problematic or unnecessary packaging, innovating toward 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025 and upcycling. So far, food manufacturers including Danone and Mondelez, plastic food packaging makers Amcor and Berry Global and grocery retailers Target and Walmart have signed on to the commitment. 

Frozen food packaging companies are also working toward creating sustainable options. Associated Packaging Technologies is among the first to venture into recyclable frozen food packaging, and developed recycled crystallized polyethylene terephthalate frozen food trays containing between 30% and 40% post-consumer recycled content. Packaging providers Glenroy’s, Emmerson Packaging and ProAmpac are also making strides toward greater sustainability in frozen food packaging, according to the Freedonia Group report. The report also points out Sonoco Products' 100% sugarcane-based fiber bowl for refrigerated, frozen and prepared foods, and Perdue's compostable foam packaging made from cornstarch that dissolves under running water for frozen meat items.

Food companies are also working toward developing next-generation packaging. Nestlé pledged $2 billion Swiss francs ($2.1 billion) towards sustainable packaging development. General Mills' Nature Valley brand is debuting fully recyclable plastic wrappers this spring, Kraft Heinz is testing recyclable paper bowls for its Macaroni & Cheese cups, and Diageo and PepsiCo designed paper bottles. Coca-Cola is also transitioning to bottles made from 100% recycled plastic.

While consumers are placing a higher premium on sustainable packaging, they are also willing to shell out more for products that meet these preferences. A Shorr Packaging survey found seven out of 10 shoppers check packaging and will pay more attention to both packaging and labels moving forward. If packaging clearly states that it is reusable or recyclable, 58% said they would be likely or very likely to make the purchase. So while the pandemic and its aftermath may make consumers interested in more packaged products in the near term, including a sustainability element could clearly pay off.

Danone's Evian bottled water brand unveiled a new recycled plastic (rPET) prototype bottle using technology from Loop Industries.

The process allows all types of PET plastic waste, including material taken from things like gym bags or flip flops that would otherwise be thrown out, to be turned into plastic bottles. Evian bottles using Loop’s technology will be rolled out at a commercial scale in South Korea in 2022, with the goal of launching in other markets later in the future.

Danone touted the new prototype bottle as a step toward its efforts to make all its Evian plastic bottles from 100% recycled PET by 2025. The package has been renamed Evian Loop to highlight each bottle's ability to be recycled.  

The bottle marks the latest effort by a large CPG, especially those that rely on plastic, to improve their packaging as more consumers choose what products they buy depending on a company's sustainability efforts.

While 396 million tons of plastics are produced annually worldwide, recycled PET accounts for only about 12% to 14% of plastic packaging. A plastic bottle that heads to a landfill takes about 450 years to decompose, according to some estimates.

Images of plastic bottles floating in the ocean or piled up in landfills have stoked consumer concern over the material used to make their favorite products. The pandemic has only served to underscore the importance of sustainable packaging as consumers show more interest in their environmental footprint and that of the overall food system.

Danone, which manufactures yogurt brands like Oikos and plant-based offerings like Silk, has spent the last few years testing out new bottles created entirely with recycled plastic for its Evian brand. Currently, between 25% and 50% of each Evian bottle is made from recycled plastic.

The latest product, developed with Loop, expands on that effort of trying out the packaging on a smaller scale first before rolling it out more broadly. Danone said the Evian Loop bottle will allow it to reuse more material that would otherwise be discarded. 

Shweta Harit, vice president of marketing for Evian, called the launch a "game changer and an important milestone in our ambitious sustainability journey," in a statement. Partnering with Loop, Harit said, will help the company "accelerate our drive to keep the use of virgin plastic to an absolute minimum, whilst also preserving the uniqueness and purity of our natural spring water.”

Danone is one of many large CPGs that are focusing a big part of their sustainability efforts in plastic. 

Last year, PepsiCo said it would reduce the use of virgin plastic per serving by 50% across its global food and beverage portfolio by 2030, and incorporate half recycled content in its plastic packaging. Coca-Cola introduced in February 2021 new bottles made from 100% recycled plastic material. And two years ago, Nestlé invested $30 million into the private equity fund of investment firm Closed Loop Partners, whose goal is upgrading U.S. recycling infrastructure and gaining access to food-grade recycled plastics.

In addition to using 100% recycled plastic, Evian appears to go one step further by breaking down plastic used in bottles and non-food grade items into base materials that can be reused to make new packaging.

For Loop, the rollout with Danone is a much-need validation of its technology that has come under fire by a short seller — an investor who bets a company's stock will decline. In a report released last year, Hindenburg Research claimed Loop was "smoke and mirrors with no viable technology."

Daniel Solomita, Loop's founder and CEO, said the Evian bottle is "an important milestone in the commercialization of our technology." He said it was the first commercial production of a consumer beverage bottle made entirely from Loop's branded resin using 100% recycled content.