Arjowiggins launches sustainable packaging for pet industry

Paper manufacturer Arjowiggins has announced the launch of a sustainable alternative to plastics that can be used in pet food packaging. The packaging uses Sylvicta, a translucent, functional barrier paper that reportedly preserves the quality of food and cosmetics “just as well” as conventional plastics, while “ensuring limited impact on the environment”. The paper is fully recyclable, compostable, marine degradable and made from renewable raw materials. According to the manufacturer, Sylvicta’s “distinct advantage” is its high barrier to oxygen, which means it could reportedly help pet brands and retailers reduce food waste by prolonging shelf life during the transportation, retail and consumer phases of the value chain. Arjowiggins’ R&D teams developed the translucent paper with a natural bonding through precision fibre refining, without the need of any harmful chemicals. As well as oxygen, the paper is a barrier to aroma, mineral oils and fatty foodstuffs. Additionally, Arjowiggins is working with pet care packaging converters to open up an “endless array of applications”, including windows in packaging to make the content visible, pouches for dry and oily food, snacks and pet treats, as well as laminated versions of Sylvicta for heavy weight pet food bags. Its packaging design can be foil-stamped, glued, embossed, printed in offset, gravure, and flexography, metallised, laminated to other papers or coated with heat or cold-sealable materials. Christophe Jordan, managing director of the Translucent Papers division at Arjowiggins, said: “Despite the ongoing movement towards more sustainable packaging, plastics still remain a popular choice for pet care brands, largely for practical reasons. Until now, most of the existing offer, mainly in single-use packaging, use unrecyclable, multi-layered laminates incorporating plastics or aluminium foil” explains “The good news is pet care brands and retailers looking for a fully recyclable, compostable and biodegradable paper packaging need look no further than Sylvicta – the product is simply revolutionary. It can help to create the circular economy society we all desire.”