Exploring key trends and challenges in the pet care market

Q: What key trends do you see in the pet care market?

Manuela: The pet care market is experiencing several noteworthy trends. Primarily, there is a noticeable shift towards premiumization and humanization. Pet owners increasingly view their pets as beloved family members, driving a demand for products that prioritize quality and natural ingredients.

This trend extends beyond the product itself to include the packaging. There is a growing preference for more sustainable packaging options as well as packaging that enhances ease of use.

This has translated into a willingness to spend more on pet food and treats that align with their values.

Q: Can you elaborate on the ‘more sustainable’ aspect in pet care packaging?

Manuela: Pet owners increasingly value sustainability in pet food production, ingredients, and packaging. They’re looking for more sustainable options that respect the environment because they care about the impact their buying choices have.

Our survey of over 3,000 European consumers found pet owners’ engagement with recyclability is high. The majority (67-93%) check on-pack instructions to ensure their empty pet food pack goes into the right waste stream.

Over 95% of respondents also expressed environmental concerns, and two-thirds of pet owners in France, Germany, Italy, and the UK named "climate change" as their top concern.

Knowing that sustainability is a key driver, brands can help pet owners by clearly labeling on-pack recyclability claims. Our research shows that recyclable packaging is the fastest-growing and most popular claim on packs in Europe.

Q: Is sustainability a concern for both big and small pet care brands?

Manuela: Absolutely. Sustainability is a key concern for pet care brands of all sizes. While larger brands may have more resources for implementation, smaller brands are actively seeking more sustainable solutions. It's worth mentioning the upcoming EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which is set to influence the entire pet care industry. For example, the draft PPWR outlines requirements to design packaging for recycling and use a minimum percentage of recycled material.

Amcor experts are well-equipped to guide brands of all sizes in adopting more sustainable packaging solutions.

Q: What are the main challenges that brands face when transitioning to more sustainable packaging?

Florian: Many brands are concerned with the technical aspects of implementing more sustainable packaging. They worry about the impact on performance, production lines, supply chains, shelf life, and communication with consumers. Cost is also important. But I’m happy to say that Amcor is ready to address all these concerns and provide solutions that minimize compromises.

A life cycle assessment, like Amcor’s ASSET™ evaluations, gives pet care brands the facts needed to support their decisions, guide their environmental actions, and quantify improvements for pet owners. It can help brands compare the environmental impact of their current packaging solution with a more sustainable alternative.

Q: With that in mind, can you assure anyone transitioning to recycle-ready packaging that they won't need to make compromises?

Florian: When helping brands switch to recycle-ready packaging, our commitment remains unwavering to deliver optimal performance without significant compromises. While there might be slight adjustments for some brands depending on individual circumstances such as age of their packing equipment, our dedicated Field Technical Services team is well-equipped and fully trained to guide our customers seamlessly through the transition. We are devoted to ensuring a smooth switch with minimal risk and cost, empowering you to embrace more sustainable packaging with confidence.

Q: Can Amcor provide recycle-ready packaging solutions for today’s pet care brands?

Florian: Absolutely. For dry food and snacks, our AmPrima® Recycle-Ready solutions are part of a more sustainable portfolio of pet care packaging. AmPrima offers the barrier, material stiffness, seal strength, graphics performance, and fast run speeds of traditional, unrecyclable packaging. Better still, we can also offer customers the option to use recycled material in this range.

For wet pet food, several years back we launched the world’s first recycle-ready flexible retort pouch, AmLite® HeatFlex Recycle-Ready. This high-barrier, high-heat resistant, award-winning packaging made it finally possible for wet pet food pouches to be recycled. The innovative mono-PP pouch can be recycled within existing PP recycling streams in several European countries. It has rigorously tested and approved by major brands.

Q: Are there any specific challenges in the pet care market that differ from other markets?

Manuela: While some challenges – such as barrier properties – exist in other markets, our pet care packaging specifically focuses on features like easy opening and drop resistance. Amcor has invested significant time and effort in developing solutions that help meet consumer expectations.

One example of us addressing pet care packaging challenges is our work on developing laser scoring for easy opening.

We’ve also focused on drop test resistance and mechanical stress on packs, especially for larger formats. With the dramatic rise in e-commerce for pet care products, pet owners are turning to online retailers for selection, convenience, and price.

Products delivered directly to consumers go through many more touchpoints and risk damage more than with traditional retail. For ecommerce, there are multiple testing protocols, but one of the most recognized is ISTA 6A – a series of packaging tests designed by the International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) and Amazon. Our ecommerce-testing laboratories are certified to test packaged products against ISTA 6A requirements. Whether we make the packaging, or whether it’s sourced elsewhere, we can run tests, consult on pack design and help brands gain ISTA 6A certification.

Conclusions
The pet care market is experiencing a shift towards premiumization, humanization, and sustainability. Amcor is at the forefront of providing more sustainable packaging solutions that meet consumer expectations and address environmental concerns. With a strong focus on R&D and customer support, we’re ready to help brands make the switch. Contact our experts to upgrade your packaging for pet food.