Pet packaging trends: Premium, eco-friendly and convenience demands surge

03 Jun 2020 --- Consumers are holding pet packaging to similar standards as seen within the food and personal care space. Experts note a surging demand for environmentally sustainable packaging that is simultaneously convenient and safe. PackagingInsights speaks to industry players who note that premium demands also drive the segment and explain how the pet food packaging sector is projected to evolve in the future.

“Pet food packaging is always ahead to others in developing innovation. In this industry, the high use of pre-made packaging allows us to combine functionality and sustainability for premium packaging needs,” says Emilio Vidri, Sales Director Europe, Mondi Consumer Flexibles.

Chris Cattoor, Purina Manager of Technical Packaging, has also witnessed a shift to designing more conveniently sized and sealable packaging. This aligns with trends for clear packaging that provides visibility into the product itself and adjusting portion sizes.

Mondi's BarrierPack is fully recyclable and helps reduce plastic packaging waste. The fact that pets are more sensitive to smell than humans remains, however, a fundamental difference between pet and human food packaging, notes Ivan Tur, Segment Marketing Manager Petcare of Amcor Pet Packaging. This, in turn, has given life to packaging that does not affect the taste or odor of the pet food. 

Well portioned packaging for more consumer control 
Maintaining a varied diet and healthy portion control are two consumer trends that are being met with smaller single pouches, Tur outlines. “Packaging that breaks up the portion size means it’s easier for pet owners to manage and control each serving. Pet owners with busy lifestyles will find packaging with improved portionability means optimum freshness in each serving,” he adds.

Beyond being easily portable and sealable packaging, legible printing on packs is critical for pet owners to quickly and comprehensively read pet food nutritional content, says Vidri of Mondi. “Brands are also looking for packaging that retains its functionality and consumer appeal in a demanding supply chain environment, and enables efficient manufacturing throughout the fill and ship process.”

Concern for pet health also extends to avoiding bisphenol A (BPA) exposure. In addition to stand-up-pouches for wet pet food, Amcor offers aluminum packaging options that are BPA-free such as the wrinkle-free premium bowl, called Canny, and the easy-peel lid AluFix Retort Classic for metal cans.

The rise of e-commerce
E-commerce is increasingly identified as a central platform for pet packaging purchases. “Pet care sales via e-commerce are growing rapidly and there’s an increased demand for Amcor’s packaging ready for e-commerce that is tested to Amazon’s ISTA 6A standards. The ISTA 6A tests are designed to simulate the e-commerce supply chain and its many touchpoints to ensure products will arrive at the consumers’ door as intended,” Tur further explains.

Purina uses PCR materials for its kitty litter packaging.The incessant growth in online retail channels is spotlighted in Innova Market Insights’ third-ranking top packaging trend for 2020, “Packing an e-Punch.” The market researcher highlights how e-commerce is opening up an array of brand enhancement opportunities, played out within the wider context of increased environmental sustainability demands.

In this space, Tur points to a growing premiumization trend of pet care products. “Through this trend, we see an increase in demand for premium print effects, such combining matte and gloss, or soft-touch tactile effects. AmPaper is another print effect that gives a paper-like look and feel, for a more premium appearance on the shelves. We also see easy-open and reclose features on dry food bags to offer pet owners a better packaging experience.” 

Sustainability trend remains “top priority”
Vidri highlights that premium packaging is greatly linked with environmentally sustainable packaging. Addressing environmental degradation concerns, Purina has committed to making 100 percent of its packaging reusable or recyclable by 2025. Moreover, more than 80 percent of its current packaging by weight is recyclable, including our wet pet food cans and materials made from paperboard, says Cattoor.

The trend does not just apply to pet food packaging. “We are working to eliminate unnecessary packaging while phasing out materials that are not recyclable or are hard to recycle, and minimizing tertiary supply chain packaging, including shrink film or stretch wrap. We’re also beginning to look more at the use of post-consumer recyclate (PCR) materials in our packaging. While there are challenges in finding high-quality, food-grade sources of PCR, we have begun to incorporate it into our cat litter portfolio. A recent example is Tidy Cats Naturally Strong,” notes Cattoor.

Amcor's AmPaper gives a paper-like look and feel for a more premium appearance on shelves.This month, Amcor plans to share a report following a study it conducted on pet food consumers and their expectations in terms of pet food packaging sustainability. “We can already share that our study shows 90 percent of consumers are willing to switch to more sustainable packaging and 84 percent are willing to pay extra for what, in their opinion, is the most sustainable option. A switch to more sustainable and recyclable packaging is demanded by pet food consumers, and it might be beneficial for brands to make this move,” Tur underscores.

Tapping right into this trend, Mondi delivers FlexiBag Recyclable with a flat bottom in the form of a recyclable pre-made plastic bag for bag sizes up to 20 kg. It is manufactured with mono-materials and incorporates handles and soft reclosable systems that are 100 percent recyclable.

Ultimately, Vidri states individualization, freshness, good shelf appearance and convenience as drivers for all the solutions Mondi has in the pipeline. Purina is set to continue its collaboration with other companies in the consumer goods, packaging and recycling industries to fund research that could lead to improvements in community recycling infrastructure and technology. Amcor concludes its R&D team continues to make progress in bringing more recyclable pet care packaging solutions to the market. 

By Anni Schleicher