Refill pouches are one of the most eco-friendly packages available. Many consumers have a perception that eco-friendliness = recyclability. However, many different elements contribute to sustainability. One of them is the carbon footprint from raw material manufacturing to the end of the packaging lifecycle. Refill pouches use significantly fewer resources and reduce the overall carbon footprint when compared to rigid bottles. They can reduce plastic usage by up to 80-90%.
They also reduce logistic and storage spaces and costs. It is said that flexible pouches only need one truckload while rigid bottles need 10-15 truckloads when empty. With this in mind, we believe that refill pouches are better for the environment overall. It is not only lightweight but also durable and easily customizable.
Recyclability has always been a struggle for flexible pouches. Typical multilayered flexible pouches are harder to recycle because they combine different materials together during the lamination process. This has additionally been compounded by the lack of recycling infrastructure. However, due to the amount of materials used, flexible pouches will reduce the overall amount of plastic put into landfills despite having low recyclability.
This is not to say that it is impossible to have a fully recyclable flexible pouch; there are indeed some recyclable flexible pouches in the market. The main issue for a recyclable flexible pouch is to sustain content using only one material. The traditional flexible pouch uses multi-materials because each material contains different functionalities, such as nylon for higher durability and PET for heat resistance. Improper sealing can easily lead to defective seals resulting in a poor-quality pouch. Since liquids weigh more than dry products, it is necessary to have higher durability to support the contents. Although there are many obstacles to face, we start to see monomaterial liquid flexible pouches coming out to the market.
Nescafé
Nescafé is rolling out what claims to be the first instant coffee refill pouch – said to contain an average of 60% less plastic than the lid of a 200g glass coffee jar and cut down on packaging overall, as well as being recyclable. Already available for Nescafé’s Gold Blend coffee and set to package its Original flavour at the end of the month, the 150g pouch is thought to be 97% lighter than its jar equivalent. It is also resealable, enabling consumers to preserve the product’s freshness.
Empty packs can reportedly be recycled at over 5,000 in-store locations across the UK and through kerbside collection in Ireland. Its reduction of packaging is also expected to make the product cheaper for consumers to buy. It is hoped that the pouch will contribute to Nescafé’s sustainability commitments, specifically the reduction of its virgin plastic usage by one-third by 2025. “We know that Nescafé lovers are getting more concerned about the sustainability credentials of the products they consume,” said Sophie Demoulin, marketing director of Nescafé Soluble Coffee. “We are therefore really proud to launch this new coffee pack that offers our fans the same great coffee and the iconic rich aroma that they love in less packaging whilst offering better value for money.”
Various retailers have implemented reuse solutions that involve the purchase of coffee. Albert Heijn’s AH Packaging Free shopping concept allowed consumers to fill their own or store-bought reusable packaging with such products as organic coffee beans; Morrisons opened a pilot store last year in which seventy products, including coffee, were stocked in refill ‘hoppers’ for consumers to pour out and purchase; and Aldi’s new ‘green’ supermarket utilised a module made by Miwa to enable what aims to be zero-waste shopping for coffee, amongst other products.
Manchester Drinks Co.
Manchester Drinks Company has launched Shuda pouches – limited-edition cocktails including Strawberry Daquiri, Pina Colada, Woo Woo and On the Beach. Available in B&M, Iceland, Savers and Heron Foods – Shuda pouches just need to be frozen then allowed to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes – after which they can then be squeezed into a glass.
Richard Benjamin, Director at Manchester Drinks said: “Summer’s on its way and now’s the time to stock your freezers with cold drinks in time for BBQs, garden parties and trips to the beach. Just £1, Shuda pouches are perfect for occasions, especially for those looking for an easy-to-prepare drink they can fit in their bag on the go.
“With warmer weather and longer days coming, we’d encourage anyone looking for a ready-made cocktail to buy a Shuda pouch today, as we don’t expect them to stay on shelves for very long”
ClearBags
US-based packaging provider ClearBags has launched packaging product lines and colour themes ahead of Clear Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Available from ClearBags.com, the new products include stand-up pouches or doypacks, gusset bags, window boxes and packaging accessories. Products under the range of holographic pouches include holographic ice stand-up pouches and black pouches with holographic stars. The food packaging features a reusable zipper for convenience, round hang holes for retail display and tear notches.
ClearBags said that these packaging options are suitable for coffee, tea, candy, crafts, bath salts, pet treats, cosmetics and a variety of other products.
ScottsMiracle-Gro
Inspired by macro-level trends in refillable/reusable packaging in the CPG industry, ScottsMiracle-Gro innovates a new form factor for lawn and garden product concentrate: a flexible pouch. The new 5-oz Ortho GroundClear Super Concentrate refill pouch was designed to make it easy for consumers to mix their own product for 0.5-gal of weed and grass killer.
As happens many times in the packaging universe, trends in one category can inspire packaging innovation in another, completely different category. Such was the case with ScottsMiracle-Gro, which says it was influenced by the developments in refillable/reusable packaging in other markets in the design of its new weed and grass killer concentrate pouch.
“There was no individual product on the market that inspired the development of our Ortho GroundClear Super Concentrate flexible refill pouches, but rather a culmination of macro level trends,” explains Keith Miller, senior packaging engineer for The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company. “Our teams stay on top of consumer trends and are continuously exploring sustainability opportunities. There has been increased interest and adoption of reusable and refillable products in other consumer product categories, and we have developed a form that makes concentrate use less intimidating to new consumers in the weed control category while also being a great sustainability benefit for the market.”
Scotts first introduced its Ortho GroundClear Super Weed & Grass Killer in 2020 in a 1-gal container with trigger spray attachment, known as a “comfort wand,” along with a 32-oz concentrate refill in a plastic bottle. In August 2022, it debuted a new concentrate option consisting of a 5-oz flexible pouch. “Concentrates in rigid plastic bottles have been an offering in the weed and insect control categories, but Ortho is leading the category with this flexible form innovation,” says Miller.
Each 5-oz pouch of concentrate makes up to 0.5-gal of finished product when mixed with water. The pouch is a construction of PET/nylon/polyethylene film and is topped with a 20-mm child-resistant cap. According to Scotts, the new packaging reduces waste by up to 90% when compared to a 1-gal refill bottle and provides a smaller on-shelf footprint for retailers. It also requires less storage space in the consumer’s home versus a standard-size bottle.
When asked about the use of a non-recyclable packaging material for the refill package, Miller says that while there are opportunities to build on recyclability and sustainability in the lawn care market, there are limitations given that it’s a regulated category. “We think this is a great first step to begin to change consumer habits and lead the way when it comes to reducing plastic use in a category that has been so reliant on single-use plastics historically,” he says.
One of the obstacles to the adoption of refillable/reusable systems that Miller says Scotts worked hard to address was consumer ease of use. “Not feeling comfortable or not knowing how to mix or use refillable products is a barrier that the team put a lot of effort into eliminating for consumers,” he says. “This new product form minimizes the guesswork and mess that consumers deal with when mixing concentrate products. It’s really simple—one five-fluid-ounce pouch makes one half-gallon of finished product. We do the measuring for the consumer.”
Co-man/Co-pack
Adult beverage branding and marketing firm Iconic Brands merges with co-man/co-pack TopPop Packaging to address the rapidly growing market for RTD cocktails and RTF adult ice pops, as well as more healthy options for wine and spirits. Together, the two companies, soon to be renamed TopPop Innovative Brands, Inc., are delivering on some of today’s top trends in the alcoholic beverages market. Among them are ready-to-drink (RTD) and ready-to-freeze (RTF) cocktails in pouches and sachets and better-for-you, better-for-the planet adult beverages that are sustainable, ethical, and authentic.
According to Grand View Research, the global RTD cocktail market, which includes RTF drinks in flexible sachets or squeeze pouches, was valued at USD $782.8 million in 2021 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 13.4% from 2022 to 2030. A number of factors are driving this expansion, including the growth of the at-home cocktail market resulting from COVID-19 lockdowns, greater health consciousness among consumers, with RTD beverages typically containing less alcohol by volume (ABV), a desire, especially among Gen Z consumers, for new flavors and tastes, and the convenience of premixed, portable adult beverage options.
Waitrose
Waitrose will become the first UK supermarket to sell a refill pouch for olive oil, when it starts stocking Citizens of Soil’s; award winning, single estate extra virgin olive oil. 500ml bottle and refill pouch will be available in 155 Waitrose shops across the UK. Citizens of Soil was founded in 2020 with the aim of championing small-scale female farmers who prioritise soil health and biodiversity in their olive groves, and to offer consumers a refill option to cut down their carbon footprint.
Customers will be able to buy glass bottles of the oil and can then refill it with pouches of the olive oil. The pouches have a carbon footprint that’s fifteen times lower than the glass bottles, because they’re lighter and therefore require less fuel to transport them. The glass bottles also require more packaging to transport them.
When customers have washed and dried their empty pouches they can drop them off at a soft plastic drop-off point at one of 295 Waitrose stores Waitrose shops, or send them back to Citizens of Soil by posting them in any postbox. The empty glass bottles can be recycled with other household recycling.
Sapling Spirits
Sapling Spirits, the world’s first climate-positive British-made spirits brand, sets itself apart with unique and sustainable solutions like the Sapling Climate Positive Vodka Refill. The 70cl refill pouch does away with heavy glass and in doing so, it is said to help reduce Sapling Spirits’ carbon footprint by 25%. Environmentally minded consumers also benefit from purchasing this pouch and reducing their household waste, since they can refill a bottle and return the pouch for recycling. The use of sustainable packaging is becoming increasingly important in the alcohol industry. While some brands are exploring lightweight alternatives to glass, others like Sapling Spirits are implementing the kinds of refill pouches that consumers are already familiar with using in other areas of their lives.