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. Cat food brand SHEBA will be the first to have the updated packaging formats available in Europe in 2022.

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. Only with advanced recycled materials and their ability to be food safe has this development been possible.

Barry Parkin, Chief Procurement and Sustainability Officer at Mars, Incorporated, stated, "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."

SHEBA will be the first to have the new packaging formats available in Europe.

Petfood packaging is considered to be a very challenging packaging format to utilize recycled content due to thermal processing needed to create high 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.

Mars Petcare has been working towards this circularity objective in plastic packaging through the application of advanced recycling technology with its partners, SABIC and Huhtamaki.

SABIC is a pioneer in this area via its TRUCIRCLE plastic portfolio and services which showcase circular innovations, including certified circular products which are produced using a feedstock derived from previously difficult-to-recycle used plastic household packaging. SABIC's ability to process flexible plastic packaging waste back into polypropylene for this direct food contact and challenging application is a first.

With Huhtamaki's technical expertise in formulating and producing easy tear sterilizable polypropylene films such as Terolen, SABIC's TRUCIRCLE polymers can be used in wet petfood packaging like the SHEBA pouch that is being launched.

Lada Kurelec, General Manager PP, PET, PS, PVC, PU & Elastomers Businesses for Petrochemicals at SABIC, said, "We are very pleased about the ongoing strategic efforts with Mars and Huhtamaki. The transformation of the industry towards a circular economy requires unprecedented innovation and intensive collaboration across the value chain."

Marco Hilty, President of Huhtamaki's Flexible Packaging business segment, emphasized, "We are fully committed to partnering with global leaders to develop solutions which drive the transition to a circular economy. We are proud to work with Mars and SABIC on a concrete solution which can be used globally."

Now, 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.

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. Cat food brand SHEBA will be the first to have the updated packaging formats available in Europe in 2022.

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. Only with advanced recycled materials and their ability to be food safe has this development been possible.

Barry Parkin, Chief Procurement and Sustainability Officer at Mars, Incorporated, stated, "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."

SHEBA will be the first to have the new packaging formats available in Europe.

Petfood packaging is considered to be a very challenging packaging format to utilize recycled content due to thermal processing needed to create high 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.

Mars Petcare has been working towards this circularity objective in plastic packaging through the application of advanced recycling technology with its partners, SABIC and Huhtamaki.

SABIC is a pioneer in this area via its TRUCIRCLE plastic portfolio and services which showcase circular innovations, including certified circular products which are produced using a feedstock derived from previously difficult-to-recycle used plastic household packaging. SABIC's ability to process flexible plastic packaging waste back into polypropylene for this direct food contact and challenging application is a first.

With Huhtamaki's technical expertise in formulating and producing easy tear sterilizable polypropylene films such as Terolen, SABIC's TRUCIRCLE polymers can be used in wet petfood packaging like the SHEBA pouch that is being launched.

Lada Kurelec, General Manager PP, PET, PS, PVC, PU & Elastomers Businesses for Petrochemicals at SABIC, said, "We are very pleased about the ongoing strategic efforts with Mars and Huhtamaki. The transformation of the industry towards a circular economy requires unprecedented innovation and intensive collaboration across the value chain."

Marco Hilty, President of Huhtamaki's Flexible Packaging business segment, emphasized, "We are fully committed to partnering with global leaders to develop solutions which drive the transition to a circular economy. We are proud to work with Mars and SABIC on a concrete solution which can be used globally."

Now, 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.