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Within the last few years, we have reported on the trend to recyclable all-PE pouches driven by the growing demand for sustainable packaging options from consumers and brand owners. Such structures have already gained a lead simply because of their potential recyclability advantage over multilayer, multi-material film structures.

We have also reported on the significant commercial strides in all-PE pouches that have been made by a handful of leading polyolefin suppliers—primarily, Dow, ExxonMobil, Nova Chemicals and SABIC, and their specialty, high-performance PE polymers. These include metallocene-catalyzed LLDPE (mLLDPE), advanced HDPEs, polyolefin elastomers and plastomers, and specialty coatings that allow replace­ment of film structures that contain PET or nylon for barrier properties and increased stiffness.

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I recently spoke with Shannon Moore, lead packaging engineer at Kellogg regarding the launch of the new fully-recyclable all-PE stand-up pouch with barrier by its Bear Naked granola brand, after more than 18 months research and design in cooperation with companies such as Dow and film processor Berry Global. 

Recycling has always been important to Bear Naked; however, the previous packaging (made of PET with PE coating resins) required a customer to sign up for a special program to ship the packaging away for recycling. Recognizing that dropping off the package at a retailer is much easier yet would require the creation of a fully  recyclable film, the company embarked on its project. According to Moore, there are now more than 18,000 locations for store drop-off of such structures but, ultimately, the goal is for curbside collection. 

The previous complex and multi-layered granola package has been transformed into a very thin, light, film structure that is also clear so customers may see the product, in a package that is durable, hermetically sealed, and fully recyclable. Even the zipper is recyclable after Fresh-Lock developed a new line based on a mLLDPE. Key among the resins used in the nine-layer film structure produced by Berry Global, is Dow’s Retain functional modifier, which allows for the production of PE/EVOH films that are approved for the How2Recycle logo by SPC (Sustainable Packaging Coalition).

As part of Berry Global’s Entour family of products, the PE/EVOH barrier film used to product this pouch offers all the functionality and performance of traditional barrier films while remaining PE-recycle-stream compatible. The coex film is designed to have excellent moisture and oxygen barrier that can go through the store drop-off PE recycle stream. The film can be surface printed or used as a component in a lamination. At Pack Expo 2019, Berry Global received the Baking & Snack technology excellence award for this package’s structure.

Moore adds that Kellogg, as is the case with Berry Global, joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation that has led the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment in collaboration with U.N. Environment in 2018. She notes that they are exploring various innovations to see what fits best for each of its brands, including the use of PCR content and new offerings from such companies as Dow and SABIC of polyolefins with various levels of PCR derived from both mechanically and chemically recycled sources. Among the challenges Kellogg is aiming to address, says Moore, are the metalized PP or PET wrappers for candy bars and protein bars, noting that so much has to do with having guidelines for drop-off.