By Latricia Fry
Although flexible packaging is the fastest growing packaging format in North America, it faces challenges for being difficult to recycle. By itself, flexible packaging is the most sustainable packaging format in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, however that is only one piece of the puzzle. This article explores key principles of circularity, extended producer responsibility (EPR), and material innovation driving change. It highlights environmental benefits, such as reduced carbon emissions and energy use, and examines financial incentives under EPR policies. Market trends indicate growing adoption of mono-material solutions and post-consumer recycled content. By aligning technology, policy, and design, flexible packaging can deliver low-impact solutions that enable brand owners and converters to meet sustainability goals while maintaining performance and cost efficiency.
Sustainability means creating products that minimize harm to the environment. For packaging, this involves reducing waste, using recyclable materials, and designing for reuse. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s circular economy model guides these efforts, focusing on eliminating single-use plastics and regenerating natural systems.
Traditional packaging follows a “take-make-dispose” model. Circularity flips this approach by keeping materials in use longer. Flexible packaging companies are now developing mono-material solutions, including mono-polyethylene and mono-polypropylene, that can be recycled easily via store drop off (SDO), where accepted, therefore reducing contamination in recycling streams.
Flexible packaging is everywhere—from snack bags to detergent pouches. Its lightweight design and versatility make it a favorite for manufacturers and consumers alike. Depending on the applications, flexible pouches use fewer resources, including raw materials and energy.
For this paper, we look at the analysis completed by the Flexible Packaging Association for laundry pod containers, comparing a rigid container to a flexible pouch. The study published shows that flexible pouches use 660% less water to produce and reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions by 726%, while the fossil fuels used in the flexible pouch are 504% less than the rigid container. These savings make flexible packaging a key player in reducing environmental impact.
EPR laws require manufacturers to manage the life cycles of their products, including recycling. Seven states in the U.S. have passed EPR legislation with Oregon being the first to go live. The complications of EPR only add complexity to sustainability, with each state having different goals, fees and additional requirements.
Let’s look at Oregon and the implications for using a rigid laundry pod container versus a flexible pouch.
Producer A supply weight and fee rates:
860,000 lbs .HDPE container @ $0.19/lb.
90,000 lbs. PP cap at $0.35/lb.
50,000 lbs. PE label at $0.55/lb.
Total payable base fees = $222,400
Mono-material polyethylene pouch:
Base fees = $99,000 (55.5% reduction)Eco-modulation bonus award = ($19,800) Net payable fee = $79,200
While this is only one state, the benefits of mono-material flexible packaging are clear. Regardless of the many benefits flexible packaging offers, the challenge comes down to recycling.
In the U.S., curbside recycling is the prevalent collection method, which doesn’t allow for flexible films. Flexible films, when introduced to the recycling stream, cause issues during separation at materials recovery facilities, or MRFs. To overcome this issue, there is store drop-off collections at major retailers throughout the country; however, only mono-polyethylene flexible films are accepted. Mono-polyethylene films are a great solution for some products; however, most, including food and pharmaceutical packaging, typically require more protection than mono-polyethylene can provide.
There is no single solution to achieving circularity in flexible packaging. Developing mono-material options for store drop-off is just one possible approach. Because protecting products often requires complex material combinations, additional strategies, such as advanced recycling, must also be pursued. To make collection easier, we need to expand consumer education and create more accessible recycling opportunities. Once collected, these materials must be reintegrated into packaging to close the loop.
Over the next five years, sustainability will dominate packaging strategies. Expect growth in recyclable materials, post-consumer recycled content, and advanced technologies that improve performance without sacrificing eco-friendliness, such as biaxially oriented polyethylene, or BOPE.
Flexible packaging offers a practical path to sustainability through innovation and collaboration. By embracing circular design and EPR compliance, the industry can reduce environmental impact while meeting consumer and regulatory demands. The future of packaging lies in shared responsibility and continuous improvement across the value chain.
Sustainability thrives on collaboration. It takes every link in the value chain including resin producers, material suppliers, converters, and brand owners, to transform challenges into opportunities and build a world where circularity is second nature. █
Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2023). Circular Economy Principles. Retrieved from https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org.
Flexible Packaging Association. (2023). Sustainability Report. Retrieved from https://flexpack.org.
Circular Action Alliance. (2023). Oregon Program Plan. Retrieved from https://circularactionalliance.org.
Latricia Fry is sustainability and market development manager at Inteplast BOPP Films. She can be reached at lfry@inteplast.com.
