Pet food and care packaging trends: How to win the love of pet parents

Sustainability remains a top trend for pet food and pet food packaging

Pet parents are more eager than ever to treat their loyal companions as extensions of the family. They want their pets to be cared for, as healthy as possible, and fed in a way that respects the environment. This means increased expectations for pet care products and its packaging.

While other priorities like personal health and safety have been front-and-centre over the past two years, Mintel's latest research shows that concerns about preservation of the environment continue. People still want to see progress towards more sustainable packaging, and our R&D teams have not slowed down developments in that area.

Amcor research conducted with 12,000 consumers in six countries worldwide also shows that 76% of them would like to recycle more than they do now. Recyclability is the sustainable packaging attribute consumers care most about, above other options including reusability and materials used.

As pet owners are increasingly scrutinizing the sustainability credentials of pet food, from methods of production to ingredients and packaging, pet food brands are reacting to consumer demand for more sustainable pet food and pet food packaging.

Source: Mintel

‘Recyclable packaging’ is the most popular claim in the EU and the fastest growing one. Between July 2016 and June 2021, pet food launches that carried the recyclability claim grew from 5% to 14% of all packaging launches. While flexible pouches are the most common pack type for European pet food launches, they are the least likely to claim recyclability:

Pet food launches making a recycling claim, by pack type, % of launches, July 2020 - June 2021

Source: Mintel

The flexible pouch is now leading the thermally processed foods space as an alternative format to glass jars, metal cans or aluminium containers. It is lighter, easy to open and allows for convenient use without compromising on quality, freshness or shelf-life.

While multi-material pouches have a reduced carbon footprint versus heavier containers, pouches for heat-processed or retort applications like wet pet food, have historically been one of the most difficult packaging solutions to make recyclable. In fact, when we embarked on our pledge to make all our packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025, we were told by many that a recyclable high-heat resistant pouch wouldn’t be possible.

Such a pack needed to combine recyclability with the performance required to withstand heat-sterilization and provide a long shelf life. High-heat resistant packaging delivers excellent, long-term product protection by using high performing materials; usually combining different plastics and often including aluminium for barrier properties. The outer layer has for years been made with PET, as it has high heat resistance. The problem however is that there is no recycling stream available for PET-based bags and pouches (the so called “soft” plastics), unlike PET bottles, which are recyclable.

In October 2020, Amcor launched the world’s first recycle-ready flexible retort pouch, HeatReady™ AmLite HeatFlex™ Recycle-Ready. This high-barrier, high-heat resistant, award-winning packaging is now in supermarkets for wet cat food. This innovative mono-PP pouch can be easily recycled within already existing plastic recycling streams.

We have a complete portfolio of recycle-ready solutions for pet food, for wet, dry, snacks and treats that can help your brand meet the demands for more sustainability in pet food packaging and communicate that clearly to your consumers.

Health benefits are the priority for pet owners

Pet humanization fuels the tendency of pet owners to apply their own dietary preferences to their pets. As the nuclear family disappears, brands must cater to a new breed of pet-owner-as-parent consumers.

Source: Mintel

The thread tying almost all current pet care trends together is wellness. Pet parents are increasingly concerned about the health of their pets and brands are responding by highlighting ingredient quality and introducing novel functional ingredients. Here, pack design can support your brand’s transparency strategy and set realistic product expectation.

While pet owners don’t want long scientific-sounding ingredient names, they do want to be assured that their pet foods provide proven nutrition. According to Mintel, in Germany, 76% of pet owners agree that actively looking after digestive health is essential for a pet's overall health, and 71% of pet owners believe diet has a direct impact on a pet's emotional wellbeing.

Innovations like digitalized packaging provide an on-pack connection to build relationships (and trust) with pet owners. A quick smartphone scan pack can immediately connect the consumer to a wealth of information, such as the pet food’s origin, in-depth information on its nutritional value and its journey to the retailer. It also allows brands to track and trace individual packs, helping to fight counterfeiting and, in some cases, to optimize the supply chain.

With ecommerce, pet owners turn to online retailers for selection, convenience and price. Delivery options and auto-renew programs make owner’s lives easier, and Millennial shoppers are expected to drive the growth from this point forward.
As demand for buying pet care products online is likely to accelerate in 2022 and beyond, now is the time for brands to get their primary packaging ready for the ecommerce boom. Products delivered directly to consumers go through many more touchpoints and risk damage more than with traditional retail. In fact, the average ecommerce pack is dropped 17 times on route.

In 2019, Amcor opened two ecommerce testing laboratories where our packaging experts test and certify packaging for customers from around the world. Amcor is an official participant in the Amazon Packaging Support and Supplier Network (APASS). Our laboratories are certified to test packaged products for ISTA 6A, Amazon’s International Safe Transit Association 6 certification. The certification requires packaging to pass tests that simulate the journey from manufacturer to doorstep.

Pet care brands that adapt to the shift in buying behaviors and deliver the best user experience will win the ecommerce game.

To find out more about how to capitalize on future ecommerce opportunities for pet care, sign up for our upcoming webinar.

Consumers are also expecting more transparency around pet food ingredients, as natural and clean label trends echo those seen in human food innovation. Over the past few years, consumers have been increasingly prioritizing food and drink recipes that claim to be free of unwanted elements, such as artificial additives and preservatives. Natural claims can reassure pet owners about ingredient quality and safety.

Simple pack design can help to support a natural positioning with clean open graphics suggesting a clean approach to ingredients. In a category where most pack formats are opaque, being able to see the product suggests a transparent brand and sets realistic product expectations.

Learn more about Amcor’s full offering of pet food packaging for wet pet food, dry pet food and treats. Contact us and a member of our team will be in touch to discuss your pet care packaging needs. Want to stay up to date on the latest industry trends? Sign up to our newsletter.

Do you need help navigating through recyclable packaging alternatives and assessing their effectiveness in keeping your product in optimal conditions, and maintaining shelf-life? Send me a message if you want to join me for a virtual coffee chat to dive into your packaging needs.

If you're looking to get closer to what pet parents prioritise when shopping for pet food, then catch up on our pet care trends webinar with Mintel.