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Baby food pouches recyclable


Here's How to Recycle All Those Empty Squeeze Pouches (for Free)

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If you have young kids, chances are, you’ve got some squeeze pouches in your house. While their mess-free convenience, light weight, and packability make them a parents’ dream, knowing how to responsibly dispose of them is not as dreamy.

Surprisingly, there are a few environmental plusses to their existence. Due to their light weight and small size, they’re relatively low-carbon to ship (as compared to traditional glass jars), and they don’t require the energy of refrigeration to keep them shelf-stable in the store. But since their construction relies on multiple materials like plastics, layered films, aluminum, and paperboard, mainstream American recyclers don’t have the systems to properly sort and peel the containers. Alas, into the trash bin they go.

Fortunately, there’s a way to reduce their presence in landfills. Check out these alternatives to tossing them out.

How to recycle plastic squeeze pouches

New Jersey-based TerraCycle has been collecting non-recyclable waste and turning it into new products since 2001. By partnering with more than 100 of the world’s largest brands (like Nestlé, Staples, Bic, and Brita), they’ve found a way to make recycling beneficial to both the environment and the images of multi-billion-dollar corporations.

Send in your empty squeeze pouches (and so many other things you didn’t think were recyclable, like Pringles tubs and toothbrushes) and they will shred, melt and chop the material into hard, rice-sized pellets that can be used in the manufacturing of other plastic items, such as benches and picnic tables.

While you don’t need to rinse the pouches, you do need to squeeze any remaining contents out prior to shipping. If you do choose to wash them out, be sure they’ve dried completely before sending. When you’re ready, create an account, print a shipping label, and drop it off at any UPS location.

How many (and what brands) can I send?

There is no minimum number of pouches that TerraCycle will accept. However, if you send in more than ten pounds-worth, you’re eligible to earn points that, according to their website, can be redeemed for “charitable gifts, product bundles or a payment of $0.01 per point to the non-profit organization or school of your choice.” (Sounds like a great project for a school or non-profit youth group. They even have best practices and art for creating an effective neighborhood collection bin.)

And fear not, HappyBaby, Gerber, or Up & Up brand consumers: While GoGo squeeZ seems to be the anchor brand, in the FAQ on TerraCycle’s website they confirm, “You may collect any brand of waste for this free recycling program.” (They list “healthy snack plastic pouches and caps” in their “accepted waste” flier and a promotional picture includes other brands. )

Plum Organics also has a squeeze pouch cap recycling program that accepts caps from all manufacturers, not just their brand

Or...just make your own

Of course, the other option is to avoid the single-use pouches altogether and go the DIY route. Amazon sells reusable squeeze pouches (with convenient front flaps for refilling). Load up on your favorite jar of apple sauce at Costco, or make some homemade tasty purees (with hidden vegetables, of course), and enjoy the magic of the flexible pouch without any guilt.

  

Can I recycle baby food pouches?

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Q. Dear Umbra,

I’ve been using food pouches for my kids for a couple of years and have horrible guilt. Lately, I’ve been saving them and have been trying to figure out if they can be recycled. I think I can bring the tops to the Preserve Gimme 5 bin at Whole Foods, but it also looks like TerraCycle will take both the pouch and cap. But then I found an old article saying TerraCycle is all about greenwashing. Can you please help me figure this out?

Stephanie
Arlington

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A. Dearest Stephanie,

I don’t have any kids, and I’m no toddler. But I confess I’ve passed those baby/toddler food pouches at the grocery store on more than one occasion and thought, “Mmm, I wonder if I could get away with eating that as my afternoon snack.” I mean, roasted pumpkin and coconut rice? Pears, mangoes, and papayas? Don’t mind if I do!

I can see the appeal of ready-to-eat treats in such packages even beyond the delectable-sounding flavors. Parents like ‘em because they’re a convenient, packable, (slightly) less messy way to keep those little mouths fed. Companies like ‘em because they’re shelf-stable and cheap to produce. And believe it or not, there are reasons for environmentalists to like ‘em, too. Their shelf-stableness saves on energy because they don’t need to be refrigerated; they’re much smaller and lighter than alternative packages, like glass jars, so they require fewer resources to make; and they’re also cheaper and less fuel-intensive to ship. All these benefits help explain why we’re seeing more and more foods, from trail mix to coffee to pickles, pop up in flexible pouches.

But you’re familiar with their major downside, Stephanie: Flexible pouches are very difficult to recycle. That’s because they’re often made of multiple layers of different materials — including plastics such as PET and PE, aluminum foil, and paperboard — glued together. Individually, some of these layers are easily recyclable; but lasagna’d together, recycling them becomes a complicated and pricey endeavor. It’s the same issue that bedevils those aseptic cartons for soup, soy milk, and the like.

You’re right that the tops, at least, are a bit easier to resurrect into new products. The ones made from #2 plastic are curbside recyclable in some cities (other places can’t accept them because they’re too small to be sorted efficiently). If you buy Plum Organics brand, then the #5 plastic caps, as you note, can be dropped off or mailed in to Preserve’s Gimme 5 recycling program. But the pouches are trickier, and the New Jersey–based TerraCycle recycling program is one of the few outfits that does accept kid pouches from a few brands.

Good news: I’ve seen nothing to make me think TerraCycle is greenwashing anything. In its model, consumers send in hard-to-recycle items; the company then chops them, melts them, and sells them to be made into things like benches and pallets. Other companies help pay for the process in exchange for the right to print “recyclable through TerraCycle” on their goodies. Some criticize TerraCycle on the grounds that this doesn’t encourage manufacturers to switch to easily recyclable packaging; TerraCycle counters that these lighter-weight packages are an overall environmental win (for all the reasons we discussed above), so it’s better to keep them in play.

My take? In a perfect world, nobody would use any throwaway packaging at all, so there would be no need for such a service. But we don’t live in such a world. Yes, it would produce less waste for you to make all your toddler snacks at home and feed them to the kids on reusable dishes. It would also produce less packaging waste if we all grew our own fruits and vegetables and baked our own potato chips. But that’s not doable for most people in this day and age. I say, reduce your consumption as best you can, reuse as best you can, and then recycle as a third line of defense. And shipping hard-to-recycle items to TerraCycle is better than landfilling them. (If your kids are real pouch fiends and you have the time for DIY puree, you can take it down one more notch by switching to these reusable pouches instead of disposables.)

I absolve you of your guilt over squeezable pouches, Stephanie. They’re small fry, not one of the things worth much of your concern. Mom guilt has reached epic proportions in this country, so let’s make snack time, at least, a feel-good time for all.

Squishily,
Umbra

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Baby food packaging market size, share (2022–27)

Baby food packaging market size, share (2022–27) | Industry trends

Market Review

Study Period: 2019- 2026
Fastest Growing Market: Asia-Pacific
Largest Market: North America
CAGR: 6. 95%
Major Players

*Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order

Need a report that reflects how COVID-19 has impacted this market and it's growth?

Market Review

The baby food packaging market registered a CAGR of 6.95% during the forecast period 2021-2026. With the growth of urbanization, the growing demand for sustainable food packaging and safety concerns among users have become the main factors that are expected to drive the profitable growth of the baby food packaging market during the forecast period.

  • The developing world is rapidly urbanizing, leading to increased disposable income and the adoption of modern lifestyles. These factors have led to increased spending on baby food.
  • Another factor driving the need for packaging solutions is the innovations of baby food manufacturers to meet different consumer needs. This has prompted companies to create sustainable, innovative and recyclable products that will replace conventional packaging.
  • Due to lifestyle and the growth of working parents, the demand for larger and more convenient packaging in the baby food packaging market is expected to increase significantly during the forecast period. Demand is likely to be strong in the prepared baby food category, where thin-walled plastic containers, flexible plastic packaging and aluminum/plastic bags over 100g are expected to replace glass jars due to the advantages they offer in terms of portability, lightness. use and disposability.
  • While the impact of COVID-19 on the packaging industry as a whole has been smaller, factors such as disruption to the supply chain and partial closures of production facilities have temporarily disrupted the production and distribution of baby food. The packaging industry is expected to recover quite quickly given the growing demand, widespread vaccination in various parts of the world and the lifting of travel restrictions.
  • What's more, in the past decade, baby food packaged in jars or glass has accounted for the majority of sales. However, growing consumer preferences for environmentally friendly bags and features such as safety, reusability, hygiene, light weight and portability have led to an increase in the use of flexible packaging over the past ten years. Similar trends are expected to drive the growth of the researched market during the forecast period.

Report scope

Baby food packaging products are specially designed for packaging food for infants and toddlers. A wide variety of packaging materials such as glass jars, plastic containers, metal cans, folding cartons and other solutions are used to package baby food, including dry foods, convenience foods and formula milk. The report offers the latest research on the current development strategy of the global baby food packaging market based on segments such as material type, packaging type, product type, and geography.

By Material
Plastic
Paperboard Glass
By Package Type
Bottles
Metal Cans
Cartons
Jars0007 Pouches
Powder Milk Formula
Prepared Baby Food
By Geography
North America
Europe
Asia Pacific
Latin America
Middle East and Africa

customized per your requirements. click here.

Key Market Trends

Plastic is expected to take the largest market share

  • Plastics are a more efficient food packaging material than other alternatives because plastics are energy efficient to manufacture and lighter than alternative materials. For example, just two pounds of plastic can deliver 10 gallons of drink, while it takes three pounds of aluminum, eight pounds of steel, or over 40 pounds of glass to deliver the same amount of drink.
  • Infant formula mainly uses metal and plastic packaging. Ball Corporation is one of the largest companies offering metal packaging such as food cans. However, the use of larger folding cartons as primary packaging for milk powder that offer single servings in flexible plastic secondary packaging is expected over the forecast period.
  • In the powdered milk formula segment, the busy life of working parents has led to the release of disposable plastic bags of various brands. Thus, it raises the importance of ready-to-eat foods and contributes to the further growth of the market.
  • Growing consumer preference for sustainable packaging in the form of bags has also contributed to the rise of flexible packaging. Another factor driving the demand for plastic packaging solutions is the innovation of baby food manufacturers to meet the different needs of consumers, as environmentally conscious parents mainly choose baby food packaged in plastic barrier bags and pouches because these materials are recyclable and landfill safe.
  • To meet the demand for organic baby food, packaging companies are choosing plastic that does not affect the packaged food. For example, in March 2020, Nestle announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind, single-material baby food bag designed for future recycling. The product will be 100% recyclable through the national Gerber recycling program with TerraCycle.

To understand key trends, Download Sample Report

The Asia-Pacific region will witness significant growth

  • The Asia-Pacific region is expected to experience strong growth over the forecast period due to increased urban use of packaged baby foods. In addition, with the rise in the disposable income of people in emerging economies and their busy lifestyles, there has been significant market growth in the Asia Pacific region.
  • In addition, China is expected to have the largest share of the baby food packaging market in the Asia-Pacific region, followed by Japan and India. Increasing consumer awareness of the nutritional benefits of packaged baby food is expected to drive growth in the market.
  • In addition, due to the superior quality and supposed safety provided by Japanese brands, baby formula made in Japan is also gaining popularity in other countries, increasing export and packaging opportunities. Previously, Europe was one of the main export destinations for baby food from Japan. Recently, however, the country has begun to focus on other developing regions. For example, over the past few years, Japanese infant formula has rapidly gained popularity in the Southeast Asian region, especially among developing countries. ​
  • In addition, the Asia-Pacific region is experiencing a significant increase in women's employment, leaving women with less time for traditional childcare. This has created opportunities for the baby food market, thereby stimulating the studied market.

To understand geography trends, Download Sample Report

Competitive environment

The baby food packaging market is highly competitive due to the presence of many domestic and international players. The market is fragmented, players compete with each other on price, product design, product innovation, etc. Some of the major players in the market are Ardagh Group, Amcor Ltd, Mondi Group and Sonoco, among others.

  • September 2021 - Silgan Holdings Inc. announced the acquisition of Gateway Plastics. This business manufactures and sells dispensing caps and integrated dosage packaging solutions such as the combination container and cap or 100% recyclable beverage dispensing capsules to consumer products companies primarily for the food and beverage markets.
  • August 2021 - Heinz introduced easily recyclable baby food bags. The products are made entirely of polypropylene and bear the On-Pack Recycling Label (OPRL). This is in line with the company's mission to remove plastic wherever possible and its goal of making 100 percent of its packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.

Major Players

  1. Ardagh Group

  2. Amcor PLC

  3. Mondi Group

  4. Winpak Ltd

  5. Sonoco Products Company

    6. *Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order

    Table of Contents

    1. 0035 1.2 Scope of the Study

  6. 2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

  7. 3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 231

  8. 4.1 Market Overview

  9. 4.2 Introduction to Market Drivers and Restraints

  10. 4.3 Market Drivers

    1. 4.3.1 Rapid Urbanization Coupled with Busy Lifestyle

  11. 4. 4 Market Restraints

    1. 4.4.1 Rising Concerns over Eco-friendly Products

  12. 4.5 Industry Value Chain Analysis

  13. 4.6.1 Threat of New Entrants

  14. 4.6.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers

  15. 4.6.3 Bargaining Power of Suppliers

  16. 4.6.4 Threat of Substitute Products

  17. 4.6.5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry

  • 4.7 Impact of COVID-19 on the Baby Food Packaging Market

  • 5.1 By Material

    1. 5.1.1 Plastic

    2. 5.1.2 Paperboard

    3. 5.1.3 Metal

    4. 5.1.4 Glass

    • By3 Package 5

    1. 5.2.1 Bottles 9

    2. 5.2.3 Cartons

    3. 5.2.4 Jars

    4. 5.2.5 0252

    5. 5.3 By Product

      1. 5.3.1 Liquid Milk Formula

      2. 5.3.2 Dried Baby Food

      3. 5. 3.3 Powder Milk Formula

      4. Geography

        1. 5.4.1 North America

        2. 5.4.2 Europe

        3. 5.4.3 Asia Pacific

        4. 0036

    6. 6. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

      1. 6.1 Company Profiles

        1. 6.1.1 Ardagh Group

        2. 1.3 Mondi Group

        3. 6.1.4 RPC Group

        4. 6.1.5 Winpak Ltd

        5. 6.1.6 Sonoco Products Company

        6. 6.1.7 Silgan Holdings Inc.

        7. 6.1.8 Tetra Laval

        8. 6.1.9 DS Smith PLC

        2. ANALYSIS

      2. 8. MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE TRENDS

      **Subject to Availability

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      Frequently Asked Questions

      What is the study period for this market?

      The baby food packaging market is being studied from 2018 to 2028.

      What is the growth rate of the baby food packaging market?

      The baby food packaging market will grow at a CAGR of 6.95% over the next 5 years.

      Which region has the highest growth rate in the Baby Food Packaging market?

      The Asia-Pacific region has the highest CAGR in 2018-2028.

      Which region has the largest market share for baby food packaging?

      North America has the highest share in 2021.

      Who are the key players in the Baby Food Packaging market space?

      Ardagh Group, Amcor PLC, Mondi Group, Winpak Ltd, Sonoco Products Company are the main companies operating in the baby food packaging market.

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      Flexible Packaging and Disposal Issues

      Flexible Packaging and Disposal Issues

      In three articles, we will provide you with a comprehensive coverage of the flexible packaging market with respect to recycling. To date, nowhere in the world there is a reliable system or technology for the recycling of used multilayer packaging containers. In this article, we will provide an overview of the current situation in the flexible packaging market and the problems that arise when processing packaging in this format. In the second article, we will talk about a recently appeared effective way to recycle packaging waste. And in the third final article, we will describe the module for the recycling collection of used packaging bags.

      Flexible Packaging

      The ever-changing lifestyle and resulting consumer reliance on pre-processed, pre-packaged and pre-cooked food is having a significant impact on the growth of flexible packaging bag sales. Rigid packaging in all its formats (cans, bottles, plastic containers, glass) is noticeably inferior to flexible and durable bags. Convenient format, light weight, excellent barrier properties, efficient use of resources and high quality printability are all benefits of flexible packaging.

      Flexible packaging is the second most used packaging format in almost every part of the world. The food and beverage market is the largest consumer of flexible packaging, although pharmaceuticals are leading the way in terms of growth in the use of this packaging material. Today we see flexible packaging in almost every sector of consumer products. Doypacks are even used for packaging paints and motor oil.

      Emphasizing the importance of using the flexible packaging format, companies such as Dow Chemical, who see packaging as a whole as a significant factor in reducing food waste, argue that flexible packaging is the defining moment in any strategy to reduce food waste.

      Flexible Packaging Applications

      Flexible packaging is widely used in place of rigid and semi-rigid packaging due to its versatile characteristics such as low weight, high strength, attractive appearance, cost effectiveness and ease of shaping. Flexible packaging is usually obtained by lamination and co-extrusion. The basic raw materials in the flexible packaging production process are polyesters, polyethylene film, metallized film, biaxially oriented polypropylene film, paper, adhesive adhesive, etc.

      Made from polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate, single-layer soft bags are easily and completely recycled. However, today's reality is that consumer goods companies have to use flexible multi-layer packaging to provide the contents of the package with sufficient protection from light, oxygen, air and any other harmful factors, as well as guarantee a shelf life that would suit consumers, retailers and suppliers.

      Today's market requires food products to have a shelf life of at least one year. And this leads to the need to use as packaging, the so-called multilayer "barrier materials" with high protective characteristics. Such multilayer food packaging structures are usually made of a layer of aluminum foil placed between several layers of a polymer film, and interconnected by lamination or adhesive.

      Multilayer composite packaging

      It would seem counter-intuitive, but adding layers to the complex structure of flexible packaging can improve the economics and performance of this type of packaging.

      While 3- and 5-layer packaging material designs were hugely popular recently, more and more converters are now moving towards 7- and 9-layer co-extrusion film, which offers greater flexibility in terms of functionality, thickness, and material cost without undue complexity. its structures. One of the technologies suggests using inexpensive grades of polymers as a bulk filler. Another technique involves dividing the barrier layer into two thin sublayers, one of which will play the role of a "reserve" in case of damage to the other. This technique also involves the impregnation of one material with another, which will further reduce the percentage of permeability. At present, the technology of separating barrier materials into several layers is being tested. Experimental data show a more than linear improvement in the protective properties of such packaging material.

      Most types of multi-layer packaging are not recyclable, and therefore are not taken from the general municipal waste stream and end up in a landfill for further disposal along with other municipal solid waste. Metal-plastic and paper-metal-plastic packaging is almost impossible to recycle due to the presence of various raw materials in their composition.

      When we talk about recycling, we mean the recovery of several components of multilayer packaging, which can later be converted into recycled materials, and then, in combination with virgin polymers, are involved in the manufacture of new high-grade products. This process is often, although not quite correctly, referred to as "zero waste recycling".

      Due to the huge number of variations of polymer composite structures that are used in the production of flexible packaging, the recycling process is (practically) not feasible, as it is too complicated and too risky in terms of investment.

      Note 1: In principle, the main difficulty is not the technology of flexible packaging processing itself, but the material selection process. That is, each individual flexible packaging component (i.e., layer) must be analyzed and categorized, and then separated and individually processed. Only this approach will ensure the maximum recovery of each component and make it suitable for further use.


      Note 2: No professional packaging recycler will recycle used packaging because about 80% of flexible packaging containers are contaminated with food residue. And, therefore, doypacks are completely unsuitable for use in existing recycling systems, as they contaminate the final recycled material. This contamination makes the resulting material unsuitable for further use in the production of high-grade products.

      Note 3: Even Nestlé notes that there are still no production plants in the world capable of processing flexible multilayer packaging. However, both Nestle and Kraft are co-funding a research project in the UK to develop a technology to extract aluminum from flexible laminates. Please note that the emphasis here is on aluminum. In a new developed research project, the polymer component of the flexible packaging is evaporated in a chamber in the absence of oxygen and used as an energy source. This process is contrary to the definition of the term "waste recycling" or "recycling waste". The use of packaging material as an energy source has nothing to do with the process of renewal. It's more of an end-of-life process where you simply destroy a valuable material resource in order to generate a few joules of energy mislabeled as renewable. Is it possible to call the process of burning plastic components and using energy renewable? After all, in the end you are left empty-handed. In other words, it's just a waste of valuable material.


      Recycling and FMCG

      If you decide to follow the development of the packaging recycling sector, you will notice that professional recyclers only work with packaging formats that are properly standardized. and PET), cans and cans for drinks (aluminum or steel), cartons and some types of plastic bags (PE or PET) are recycled without any problems, since the materials used in these types of packaging are easily separated. And recycling such waste can create a high-quality and expensive material that can be reused in the same area where it was created.

      When it comes to flexible packaging, the consumer and food industries in particular are doing everything possible to maximize its usefulness and performance by creating complex structures that do not allow the packaging to be reused. Adhesives, composite materials, and coatings create complications that make it extremely difficult to classify, separate, and process flexible materials.

      As the second largest packaging format in the US, flexible packaging and the issue of recycling is an important issue in any discussion of sustainable packaging, including recycling. Consumer interest in addressing issues of sustainable packaging is constantly growing. Demand for flexible packaging is increasing as it is much lighter in weight than many other types of rigid packaging such as metal, PET and glass containers. By using lightweight packaging such as doypacks, companies can significantly reduce the amount of fuel used and also reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere during transportation.

      With all of this in mind, companies are calling packaging "recyclable" and "sustainable", stating that its main benefit is to reduce the amount of waste and resources used to produce it. According to statistics, 77% of plastic water bottles (22 billion) end up in US landfills every year. The companies claim that flexible packaging is significantly better, because due to its shape, it will take up 96% less space when landfilled compared to traditional PET bottles.

      But whatever they say, companies still face the challenges of recycling flexible packaging. Plastic PET bottles, their main point of comparison, can be and are recycled. But flexible packaging materials are not. And something needs to be done about it. Especially since the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act is about to come into effect.

      In Europe it was adopted 20 years ago as the ideal solution to landfill problems. Today, laws like the EPR are already in place in more than 30 countries. EPR programs bring costs and responsibilities into the marketplace. The law ensures that all participants in the life cycle of a product share responsibility for the impact of the product throughout its life cycle.

      The Extended Producer Responsibility Act will become an inevitable reality for the US, China, Russia and other countries in five to ten years at the most. In addition to usability, waste quality control is one of the most important parameters for the future of packaging.

      Market suppliers of flexible packaging

      The largest supplier of doypack juices is Kraft Food and its Capri Sun brand. The company produces more than six billion flexible bags annually. The packaging is non-recyclable and the manufacturer does not label it as such. Kraft Food is trying to return some of its used packaging for recycling, but this is only a tiny fraction of the total volume of bags produced.

      Sprout Organic Baby Food's resealable multilayer (PET/Foil/OPA/PP) retort pouch received the Gold Award for Greenness and Sustainability. And yet, despite a number of user benefits and conveniences, such packaging is not recyclable.

      It would seem that Sprout Organic has found a solution to the problem of flexible packaging recycling. Since multilayer laminated bags cannot be recycled, the company decided to prevent them from ending up in landfills. Working with TerraCycle ( www.terracycle.net ), Sprout Organic collects used bags and turns them into other consumer products such as shopping bags. The results of such an event are not yet known, but in general it can be said that it is unlikely that people actively supported this initiative and rushed to pack and send empty packaging bags to the company. Such a recycling method is very limited in terms of the volume of processed material. Moreover, the scope of work performed by the company also has limitations. TerraCycle, for example, only accepts packaging from Sprout Organic with layer designs it is familiar with.

      In the context of this article, the statement made by Ron Romanik in his work "Eleven Trends in the Formation of Flexible Packaging" published in Packworld seems idiotic. Quote: “ Energy recycling of waste is becoming an increasingly viable end-of-life step for flexible packaging materials.

      Learn more