An estimated 60% of Belgian households have one or more pets. Dogs and cats are of course very popular companions, and their owners need to provide pet food for them every day. In recent years, almost all dried food packaged in bags has gone over to recyclable packaging. For wet food in pouches, however, there was still a need for change in terms of recyclability.
Aluminium laminates: a challenge for recycling
Aluminium laminates are a multilayer packaging type in which plastic is combined with aluminium. The different layers of material cannot be separated, preventing this packaging from being recycled together with plastic of any type or even with metal packaging. That is why it has already been phased out for many products. In Belgium, the use of these materials in pet food packaging is viewed as obstructive, which means that producers pay a high Green Dot rate for them, making them more expensive to sell.
Nevertheless, they have not yet made the transition for all categories. One classic example is individual sachets of wet pet food. The different layers create a barrier that ensures the contents stay fresh. They are sterilised in an autoclave after filling on the production line, providing a guarantee that your four-legged friend can enjoy fresh food.
These packaging pouches are usually made using “form fill seal” machines. The whole process takes place on a single long production line: forming, filling and hermetic sealing. These processes are crucial: for pet food, the machines have to deliver exactly the right amount of product and process it correctly to strict hygiene standards. This makes the transition to a different type of packaging quite difficult, since it requires modification of part of the production line.
There is no point denying that the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation is going to have a major impact. That is why we have opted to move at an early stage to replace packaging that we no longer support in our internal sustainability strategy.
Quality and food safety first
Nevertheless, alternatives are now arriving on the market. Colruyt introduced single-material pet food pouches made from polypropylene under the Boni brand in 2024. It is taking the lead in this area. The European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is likely to ban aluminium laminates. Making the change now and working with suppliers to find alternatives has allowed Colruyt to show leadership.
Gilles Wittock, Colruyt: "There is no point denying that the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation is going to have a major impact. That is why we have opted to move at an early stage to replace packaging that we no longer support in our internal sustainability strategy. Of course we are not going to do that overnight. The quality, safety and shelf life of our products are always paramount. This new recyclable packaging is sometimes slightly thicker than the old type, so that is a trade-off we have made. Consumers should not need to be concerned about the recyclability of product packaging they find on shelves in the store. We are pleased with this achievement and hope it will inspire the entire segment."