Six global consumer goods companies have come together to accelerate the development of responsibly designed paper-based alternatives to flexible plastic packaging through The PaperFlex Consortium.
The PaperFlex Consortium has been convened by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and is powered by (RE)SET. The consortium’s founding member companies includes Colgate-Palmolive, Mars, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, and Unilever. Other business and organisations will be added as and when.
The consortium will focus on markets where flexible plastic packaging is widely used and where a lack of collection and recycling systems could increase their likelihood of plastic waste ending up in the environment.
According to The PaperFlex Consortium, flexible plastic packaging, including sachets, wrappers and pouches, is the fastest-growing type of plastic packaging worldwide yet scaled solutions to recycle the material are currently not widely available. Small-format flexible plastic packaging is also identified as one of three key systemic barriers to tackling plastic waste in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s 2030 Plastics Agenda for Business.
Small-format flexible plastic packaging is identified as a systemic barrier to tackling plastic waste in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s 2030 Plastics Agenda for Business
For those markets, the consortium aims to design alternatives that are recyclable as collection systems improve, and biodegradable in the event they unintentionally end up in the environment.
Over the next few years, the consortium, through its members, aims to shape, fund, and conduct collaborative trials covering innovations in areas such as biodegradable coatings, and other technologies that deliver product protection, shelf life, and consumer usability, and improve how paper-based materials perform on manufacturing lines.
Sander Defruyt, Strategy Lead, Plastics, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, said: “Responsible paper-based flexible packaging solutions don’t yet exist at the performance, scale, and cost required.
“This consortium signals strong demand for them and real ambition from six consumer goods companies to help scale them.”
It is hoped that joint research and development efforts will help develop and scale promising innovations faster and at a lower cost, getting new options to consumers sooner.
While helping to accelerate the availability of solutions, each participating member will continue to adopt its own strategy and make decisions related to its packaging independently, individually, and in their own independent interests.
Frank Gana, CEO and co-founder, (RE)SET, added: “Our track record in running R&D consortia shows how they can speed up the path to solutions. While participation in this consortium is voluntary and each member makes its own packaging decisions, this approach lets us develop and scale solutions faster and at lower cost, benefiting consumers, the environment, and the entire industry.”
Gilles Demaurex, Head of Global Packaging Development, Nestlé, confirmed: “Nestlé believes that paper-based flexible packaging can play a valuable role in addressing virgin plastic reduction and minimising flexible packaging waste and pollution. By joining our efforts under The PaperFlex Consortium, promising paper innovations will be developed and deployed responsibly at scale faster and at lower cost.”
Allison Lin, Global VP, Healthy Planet and Chief Circularity Officer, Mars, added: “The consortium challenges the traditional mindset of innovating on our own, demonstrating that partnership, structured with legal oversight, clear guardrails on permissible topics, and an independent third-party convenor, can accelerate the development of more sustainable packaging in ways that no single company could achieve alone.”
Pablo Costa, Head of Packaging, Digital and Transformation, R&D, Unilever, said: “At Unilever, we have made significant investments in packaging innovation. Our dedicated teams are accelerating the development of next-generation paper-based packaging that can be scaled while delivering the experience consumers expect. Through the consortium, we are helping bring together the expertise, investment and shared learning needed to accelerate innovation and support a responsible transition at scale.”
Defruyt concluded: “We’re inviting other FMCG companies, innovators, suppliers, and investors to get involved now. The faster we develop such solutions, the sooner they reach the markets that need them most.”
