PawPrint® Pet Food Packaging Papers offer sustainable alternatives for traditional flexible pet food packaging
Ahlstrom’s PawPrint® papers provide pet food brand owners functional and visually appealing pet food packaging, eliminating plastic and using fiber-based materials, while helping pet food manufactures achieve their sustainability metrics. Ahlstrom’s next generation of PawPrint® packaging solutions additionally ensure pet food shelf-life requirements are met while achieving pet-palatability test results for the most distinguished of pet consumers.
In recent studies completed by Flex Forward and the Pet Sustainability Coalition, packaging ranks among the top three most important sustainability issues facing the pet industry. In addition, 72% of global consumers are willing to invest in eco-friendly packaging.
“Pet food brands and consumers are continuing to move to more sustainable, recyclable and chemical-free options for their packaging needs,” said Travis Dahlke, Vice President of Ahlstrom’s North American based Food Packaging business. “Multiple layers go into making the optimum pet food package, and all of those layers have been in continuous development and achieving optimum results.”
Several innovation factors are considered in developing such packaging, from grease-resistance and strength to end-of-life sustainability goals. Ahlstrom has developed several support technologies featured in the PawPrint® line of recyclable packaging solutions, including proprietary and BPI® compostable certified, PFAS-free grease resistant FluoroFree® innerply and outerply papers.
“The various layers in the PawPrint® product line provide different attributes. While the inner liners offer outstanding grease resistance for this extremely demanding application, the outer liners are crack-fold and grease resistant while providing excellent printability and shelf-presence for the brand owner,” Dahlke further explained.
PawPrint® packaging papers come in white, unbleached trulyNatural® papers, and can be converted into several types of end-use packaging structures such as pouches, pinch-bottoms, and SOS (block) bottoms.
“Ahlstrom has been manufacturing papers for pet food and multiwall packaging for decades,” Dahlke said. “Aligning with our ‘from Plastic to Purpose’ campaign and philosophy, we are best positioned to help brand owners transition to more sustainable, fiber-based packaging as opposed to existing non-renewable alternatives.”
For more information on PawPrint® papers visit: https://www.ahlstrom.com/campaigns/Pet-Food-Packaging/