Pet Industry Launches Collaborative Initiative to Tackle Flexible Pet Food Packaging Waste
Published: 20 Mar 2026
Author: Precedence Research
Industry Leaders Unite to Address Recycling Challenges
The Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC), in collaboration with Hill's Pet Nutrition, has launched the Pet Specialty Store-Drop-Off (SDO) Action Collaborative, an industry-driven initiative aimed at addressing the growing challenge of recycling flexible plastic pet food packaging. The program brings together companies across the pet care supply chain to develop solutions for the disposal and recycling of multi-layer flexible packaging commonly used for pet food products.
Flexible pet food packaging typically consists of several fused material layers designed to protect product freshness and durability. However, this structure makes the packaging difficult to recycle through traditional curbside programs. As a result, most of these materials are currently sent to landfills, creating a significant sustainability concern within the pet industry.
Building a Store-Based Collection System
The newly established collaborative aims to design and pilot a store drop-off collection system that will allow consumers to return empty pet food bags at participating pet retail locations throughout the United States. By introducing dedicated collection bins in pet specialty stores, the initiative seeks to provide consumers with a convenient way to dispose of flexible packaging responsibly.
Founding members of the initiative include Hill's Pet Nutrition, major pet retailers PetSmart and Petco, and packaging manufacturers Peel Plastics and Morris Packaging. The program builds upon PSC’s earlier sustainability efforts, including its 2020 Flex Forward initiative, which focused on improving packaging sustainability within the pet care sector.
Flexible Packaging Market Outlook
According to Towards Packaging, the U.S. flexible packaging market was estimated at USD 64 billion in 2025 and is projected to increase from USD 66.75 billion in 2026 to approximately USD 97.50 billion by 2035, expanding at a CAGR of 4.30% from 2026 to 2035. The increasing demand for lightweight, durable, and cost-effective packaging solutions continues to drive the adoption of flexible packaging across industries, including the pet food sector.
Collaborative Goals and Industry Participation
The SDO Action Collaborative has outlined four primary objectives for the program. These include designing a scalable store drop-off system, collecting verified data on consumer participation and collection volumes, strengthening collaboration across the pet industry while adhering to antitrust guidelines, and securing the resources necessary to implement pilot programs.
PSC leaders emphasize that the initiative will rely heavily on industry cooperation. By gathering measurable data on logistics, participation rates, and recycling pathways, the collaborative hopes to demonstrate that flexible film packaging can be successfully diverted from landfills and managed through improved recycling systems.
Expanding the Program for Future Impact
To support the next phase of the project, PSC is encouraging additional companies across the supply chain to participate in the pilot program. Areas of support include financial contributions, providing retail locations for collection bins, developing reverse logistics systems, and creating viable end markets for the collected materials.
With major brands, retailers, and packaging manufacturers already involved, the initiative represents an important step toward improving the sustainability of flexible pet food packaging and building a more circular packaging system within the pet industry.