Stay Fresh and Win Hearts with Sustainable Pet Food Packaging

In This Blog Post:

From premium ingredients to freshness to packaging type, pet parents have always wanted the best for their feathered, furry, or scaled companions. Increasingly, this is starting to mean they’re shopping for brands that prioritize sustainability. A global consumer study found pet owners are more likely than those who don’t own pets to care about climate change and pursue green activities. This mindset is directly impacting how they evaluate pet product packaging.

Forty percent of pet owners are more likely to choose a product with sustainable packaging. This preference is rapidly gaining traction when you consider, just two years prior, only 19 percent prioritized eco-friendly packaging.

This creates a clear area for differentiation for pet food brands that opt for sustainable packaging, but some are concerned green packaging leads to compromises in terms of freshness and budget. These brands are not alone in this perception, performance and premium pricing are two of the biggest myths surrounding sustainable packaging. In reality, the right packaging approach can deliver on every aspect of your brand values and business goals while winning over the hearts of discerning pet owners.

A nuanced category.

Pet food and pet care products have long evolved beyond the standard bag of dry kibble. A decade ago it was fairly rare to see freeze-dried raw food, functional treats designed for gut, joint, and coat health, calming products, and alternative proteins. Now, pet store shelves are lined with all of these options. 

The added complexity of the market means pet food and supplement brands have more decisions to make around how they package their product. Each of which can have an impact on both sustainability and freshness.

Packaged with care.

Nearly all pet owners see their animals as family and more than 50 percent consider them children. With this level of love behind their shopping decisions, it’s no surprise pet parents demand more from the products they buy. They want premium, quality, and integrity. Intentional packaging can cue all of these things through specialty matte finishes, rounded corners, and metallic details that highlight key aspects of the brand story. All of these options can capture the attention of pet owners in the store, but package performance at home is just as important. Especially when it comes to keeping the product fresh.

People love and treat their pets like family and brands that show they respect that connection through their packaging are going to win out every time. 

Packaging that protects product freshness can signal you care just as much about the pet experience as your human consumer does. It starts with barrier films and moisture resistance that keep the product fresh in store, but things get more challenging, and more specific, depending on the product and how it’s used at home.

Solving for fresh.

As we mentioned, the types of pet food and care products on the market have become increasingly diverse and there is no one-size-fits all solution for each type. This is particularly true when it comes to maintaining freshness. Keeping a pouch of freeze-dried treats tasty for a couple weeks after opening is a different challenge than protecting the efficacy of a kidney supplement for a month. 

In the first instance, flexible packaging with a resealable closure that keeps air and moisture out is a great solution that fits into a pet parent’s routine and keeps their loved one happy. For products like supplements or premium frozen dog food, a pressure sensitive label paired with a jar or tub can make it easy to maintain freshness after the first use.

The sustainability factor.

The increasing demand for sustainability adds another layer of complexity to this already complex equation, but for many brands this is actually good news. You have options, so you can find a solution that’s exactly right for your product, your consumer, and your business strategy.

Whether folding cartons, pressure sensitive labels, or flexible packaging are the best format for your product, there is a sustainable path. Multiple, in fact. Each is designed to support different sustainability goals without pushing you into a one-size-fits all decision.

The two overarching ways into sustainable pet food packaging are recycled and recyclable. Both are equally valid options in the minds of consumers.

Whether your strategy is focused on waste reduction in the supply chain or consumer recyclability, there’s no wrong way to approach sustainable pet food packaging. The key is knowing your consumer, your product, and your options.

Post-consumer recycled content options can help a brand minimize waste through reuse, demonstrate their commitment to a circular economy, and connect with consumers who want to reduce virgin plastic use in their own homes. 

If this approach holds true to your brand values, you may want to consider tru-IMPACT® solutions. These responsibly sourced pressure sensitive labels, flexible packaging, and folding cartons incorporate either post-consumer recycled content or materials certified by the Forest Stewardship Council or Sustainable Forestry Initiative. 

End-of-life recyclable options are designed to make it easier for consumers to recycle their packaging after use, resonating with pet parents who see it as their responsibility to reduce landfill waste. 

eco-READY™ solutions serve this consumer through a few avenues. Recyclable pressure-sensitive labels can also be designed for easy removal, making recycling even easier. Flexible packaging is recyclable through the Store Drop-Off stream and can carry the How2Recycle label. And finally, folding cartons are both recyclable and contain Sustainable Forestry Initiative paperboard.

Bringing it all together.

The fact that there are multiple ways into sustainable packaging across multiple formats makes it entirely possible for your packaging to align with your green initiatives and keep your product fresh. Both eco-READY and tru-IMPACT solutions are engineered to protect the quality of your product from shelf to home. Even with no wrong answers, it can be hard to choose the right path, but you don’t have to make these decisions on your own.

Sustainability, freshness, and premium positioning aren’t competing priorities. They are all chapters in the same story told by an intentional packaging strategy. 

The team at Belmark can help you assess the full picture to ensure your packaging connotes care, sustainability, and quality to discerning pet owners. We can also help you weigh the cost considerations including materials, quantities, and equipment compatibility to optimize overall project costs. 

These conversations start early before any specifications are set. The aim is to solve for your brand goals with packaging tailored to each one, telling a holistic story that captivates and captures the loyalty of pet parents.