Global leading consumer brand owner Nestle and packaging technology company Amcor have collaborated to develop the world’s first polypropylene (PP) based flexible retort pouch that is fully recyclable. The high-barrier pouch is set to hit store shelves in the Netherlands next month. It will be used as packaging for wet cat food and many other products. Conventional retort pouches use multiple layers of different materials to achieve performance properties.
Nestle and Amcor use PP to produce the new pouches with a thin. It uses transparent AmLite barrier coating which provides protection for the contents of the packaging, replacing Aluminum in conventional pouches. According to Amcor, the recent development of the AmLite coating enables it to withstand pressure and heat during the sterilization process. It also protects the content from oxygen and bacteria, making them safe even without refrigeration.
The new packaging is part of both companies’ efforts to make all of their packaging reusable or recyclable by the next five years. It also meets the standards for a circular economy set by the CEFLEX Consortium. CEFLEX Consortium represents the flexible packaging value chain, including materials suppliers, converters, and brand owners. Among CEFLEX members are BASF, CPChem, Amcor, Avery Dennison, Danone, and PepsiCo.
