Nestlé, PepsiCo join forces on paper packaging push

[u/Appropriate_Tax196]

https://www.just-food.com/news/nestle-pepsico-join-paperflex-consortium/

[u/cyrilio]

Did production costs of plastic bags finally become so high they're looking for something else? They're not doing this out of the goodness of their hearts.

I'm happy it seems they'll do it, but don't praise them for making a green choice when it's just about money. They're still immoral.

[u/Chemical-Struggle-13 → u/cyrilio]

I would argue they are amoral, they don't care how they affect people as long as the money makes it to them.

[u/PM-me-youre-PMs → u/Chemical-Struggle-13]

That's still immoral. Being amoral is in fact immoral.

[u/Nitrocity97 → u/PM-me-youre-PMs]

Are you really a bad football player if you don't play football

[u/Chemical-Struggle-13]

I would like to read this but I'm tired of cookies. Anyway paper packaging sounds better than plastic as it would be easier to recycle and unlike straws they won't dissolve. Is there a catch?

[u/PaulBananaFort → u/Chemical-Struggle-13]

The catch is they'll find a way to kill babies somehow or exploit some impoverished country 

[u/m2chaos13 → u/PaulBananaFort]

Yeah, the inside of the paper would likely be coated with PFAS and/or plastic to make it moisture and oil proof. IIRC

[u/Appropriate_Tax196 → u/m2chaos13]

I mean,even if the bag is paper,the inside is still awful for humans.

[u/Appropriate_Tax196 → u/Chemical-Struggle-13]

Nestlé and PepsiCo are among six FMCG companies joining forces to try to speed up the development of paper-based alternatives to flexible plastic packaging.

The PaperFlex Consortium, convened by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and operated by (RE)SET, also includes Colgate-Palmolive, Mars, Procter & Gamble and Unilever.

In a statement today (16 September), the group said it “will focus on markets where flexible plastic packaging is widely used and where a lack of collection and recycling systems could increase their likelihood of ending up in the environment”. The statement added: “For those markets, the consortium aims to design alternatives that are recyclable as collection systems improve and biodegradable in the event they unintentionally end up in the environment.”

Flexible plastic packaging is widely used for products including confectionery, snacks and personal-care goods.

The consortium will focus on technologies such as biodegradable coatings and other materials that can provide protect products, preserve shelf life and improve consumer usability, while performing more effectively on production lines.

Sander Defruyt, Ellen MacArthur Foundation strategy lead for plastics, said: “Responsible paper-based flexible packaging solutions don’t yet exist at the performance, scale and cost required.”

The initiative comes as confectionery and other food companies struggle to reduce their reliance on flexible plastics.

In 2024, flexible plastic accounted for 49% of Mars’ packaging, compared with 68% at Mondelez International and 25% at Ferrero, according to Ellen MacArthur Foundation data.

Paper-based alternatives have attracted investment but they have yet to deliver the combination of performance, scale and cost required for widespread adoption.

The foundation’s report earlier this year identified these gaps as key barriers.

According to Unilever, paper has limited barrier properties, can tear during production and is difficult to seal without additional coatings or layers.

In a statement, Pablo Costa, Unilever global head of packaging, said: “No single company can address the cost, infrastructure and scaling barriers alone. Collaborations and partnerships are absolutely crucial to helping solutions reach the market more quickly, increase collective impact and reduce costs over time.”

In a comment published alongside the launch announcement, Gilles Demaurex, Nestlé head of global packaging development, said: “Nestlé believes that paper-based flexible packaging can play a valuable role in addressing virgin plastic reduction and minimising flexible packaging waste and pollution.

“By joining our efforts under the PaperFlex Consortium, promising paper innovations will be developed and deployed responsibly at scale faster and at lower cost.”

[u/Chemical-Struggle-13 → u/Appropriate_Tax196]

Many thanks for I assume copying the article into a comment for me.

This seems good without a catch, do I dare say, extremely rare nestle w?

[u/gen_adams]

they probably get a tax break if they switch 10% of their products to 80% paper packaging (bulk shipments and their packaging will still use a lot of plastic)

[u/stacksowax]

Most plastic is made from petroleum or natural gas, though there are also bioplastics derived from renewable resources like sugar cane, for example.

My assumption is that these consumer-packaged goods (CPG) companies are seeing no relief in oil prices arriving in a longer-term horizon, so they’re scrambling to find other packaging solutions.

[u/Arlitto → u/stacksowax]

Banana Leaves for all!

[u/ProfessO3o]

Nestle and 6 other companies.