The new single-material pouch has been developed in collaboration with premade spouted pouches maker Gualapack
The single-material baby food pouch has been designed to increase recycling value and improve the circular economy (Credit: PRNewswire / Gerber)
Nestlé’s childhood nutrition products provider Gerber has introduced a single-material baby food pouch, which is claimed to be the first of its kind in the baby food industry.
The new single-material pouch, which has been developed in collaboration with Gualapack, is part of Gerber’s one of sustainable initiatives to make 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025.
The move is said to be a significant step in creating a broader market for recycled plastics, which are safe for food.
Gerber packaging associate director Tony Dzikowicz said: “Designing with a single material creates greater value for the recycling industry, promoting the development of better recycling infrastructure.”
The single-material pouch will be first used for Gerber’s Organic Banana Mango Puree
Exclusively available on TheGerberStore.com, the single-material pouch will be used for Gerber’s Organic Banana Mango Puree from May this year.
The pouch will be completely recycled via Gerber’s national recycling programme with TerraCycle, a social enterprise that works to eliminate waste.
With the support of the Materials Recovery for the Future (MRFF) organisation, Gerber is focusing on expanding curbside recycling for the pouch and all baby food pouches.
Nestlé is a founding member of MRFF, which is a research collaborative pledged to create recycling solutions.
MRFF’s pilot program in Pottstown of Pennsylvania is currently said to be the first curbside recycling programme in the US to accept flexible plastics.
Gerber president and CEO Bill Partyka said: “We believe the baby food industry should help create a world where babies thrive, and initiatives like this one help us go beyond nutrition to protect the planet.”
In January this year, Nestlé pledged to invest up to 2bn Swiss francs ($2bn) in a bid to move away from virgin plastic.
As part of this, the Swiss-based giant has committed to sourcing up to two million metric tonnes of food-grade recycled plastic between 2020 and 2025.