Amcor, a leading provider of sustainable packaging solutions, has partnered with Stonyfield Organic, the foremost producer of organic yogurt in the US, and experts in spouted pouch technology Cheer Pack North America, to pioneer the first-ever spouted pouch made entirely from polyethylene (PE). The new pouch promises to disrupt the spouted pouch market as it can help companies lower costs and also reduce their carbon footprint.
Amcor specialises in packaging solutions across sectors including food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and home and personal care products. The company claims that it is focused on providing packaging solutions that are lightweight, recyclable, re-usable and incorporate a higher percentage of recycled materials. Cheer Pack North America (CPNA) holds the top position as the manufacturer of cap packaging and spouted flexible pouches in North America. CPNA is also a strategic partner to leading suppliers of spouted pouch-filling equipment.
The new and innovative pouch will replace Stonyfield Organic’s existing multi-laminate structure for its YoBaby refrigerated yogurt with Amcor's AmPrima Plus, an all-PE film, and Cheer Pack North America's Vizi cap. This advancement will eliminate the need for traditional metalised or foil-based film layers. Despite the change, the packaging will still maintain the necessary heat resistance for spout insertion. Additionally, by incorporating the Vizi cap from Cheer Pack North America, the innovation will result in a reduction of over five tons of plastic per 10mm cap used.
62% state that recyclability and sustainability impact purchasing decisions
According to the US Food and Drug Administration, non-food grade plastics pose a significant risk of transferring harmful chemicals, including carcinogens, into food. Utilising food-grade plastic for packaging effectively prevents the transfer of such chemicals, safeguarding the integrity and safety of the packaged products. Over the next few years, the demand for sustainable packaging is expected to be very strong as US consumers are immensely conscious of the environmental impact and the sustainability of the products/services they purchase. This is substantiated by a GlobalData consumer survey finding, which revealed that 62% of US respondents feel that factors such as recyclability and sustainability have a considerable impact on their buying decisions.
The usage of PE will help reduce packaging costs without significant investment in new packaging lines as the existing lines can be easily altered to use the new material with limited alterations. This will help improve the uptake of PE for spouted pouches as the investments will be minimal and will have quick returns in terms of lower material costs and lower transportation costs. Over the next few years, as consumer concerns regarding environmental impact, well-being, recyclability and sustainability continue to escalate, a growing number of companies are anticipated to embrace sustainable and recyclable packaging solutions.
