6 Global Brands Join Forces to Advance Paper-Based Flexible Packaging

Six major consumer-goods companies have joined forces to accelerate the development of paper-based flexible packaging, with potential implications for food and beverage manufacturers seeking alternatives to small-format plastic packaging.

Colgate-Palmolive, Mars, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble and Unilever are the founding members of the PaperFlex Consortium, convened by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and powered by (RE)SET. According to the foundation’s press release, the initiative will focus on markets where flexible plastic packaging is widely used but formal collection and recycling systems are limited.

For ASEAN food manufacturers, the focus is particularly relevant to sachets, wrappers and pouches used across snacks, sauces, seasonings, instant foods and powdered beverages. The Foundation identifies small-format flexible plastic packaging as a major systemic barrier to addressing plastic waste.

Over the next few years, consortium members intend to shape, fund and conduct collaborative trials covering biodegradable coatings, new coating technologies and ways to improve paper-based materials’ performance on manufacturing lines. The work will target packaging that can provide product protection, shelf life and consumer usability while meeting environmental requirements.

Importantly, the Foundation says responsibly designed paper-based flexible packaging solutions do not yet exist at the required performance, scale and cost. For ASEAN processors, this makes technical performance and commercial viability key considerations. Paper-based structures will need to withstand the region’s challenging humidity and temperature conditions while maintaining barrier performance, sealing and machinability on existing packaging lines.

The consortium will pursue a dual end-of-life ambition: recyclability as collection systems improve, alongside biodegradability if packaging unintentionally enters the environment. However, adoption across ASEAN will also depend on differences in local waste-collection and recycling infrastructure.

The development could create opportunities for regional converters, coating specialists, packaging-equipment suppliers and material companies as the technology matures. Ultimately, replacing flexible plastics will require progress across materials technology, manufacturing compatibility, cost competitiveness and waste-management infrastructure.

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