Most pouches are made with a combination of polymers and materials. PET (polyethylene terephthalate), Polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene (PE, including LDPE, LLDPE, and HDPE), and PA (nylon) are all different types of polymers. While many of these plastics are recyclable, they generally cannot be readily recycled when laminated because their chemical and functional properties differ greatly.

Additionally, most pouches also include a metalized layer. The introduction of non-plastic elements (even if all of the polymer layers are made of the same material) renders the pouch unrecyclable.

Mono-material refers to any material or packaging made from a single material. When it comes to paper, glass, and aluminum, this is very straightforward. Paper itself is a mono-material. When it is laminated with a layer of plastic, it is no longer a mono-material and typically can’t be recycled. With mono-material plastic packaging, it isn’t enough to just say - this is all plastic. The specific polymers must all be the same across the entire film structure to qualify as a mono-material.

Not all mono-materials are currently recyclable because “being recyclable” depends on several factors, including whether or not an MRF can adequately sort material and if markets are ready to buy it. For example, nylon film isn’t recyclable in most of the US, so a 100% nylon pouch will not be recyclable. However, developing packaging made of a single material is generally one of the first steps when designing for recyclability.

In the US, polyethylene (either LDPE or HDPE) has become relatively easy to recycle. While the material is generally not curbside recyclable, most Americans live close to a retail store where consumers can drop off plastic bags for free to be recycled into compulsive lumber. A pouch purely made with polyethylene or mostly polyethylene with a tiny percentage of non-PE (such as EVOH or a spray of silicone to provide a barrier layer) can often pass the test of being “thin film recyclable.” The Association for Plastics Recycling and Trex (the country’s largest recycler of PE film) have a service by which they will review and test a brand’s packaging to determine if their line can successfully recycle the material.

Unfortunately, however, it is currently challenging for sorters to determine if a pouch is recycle-ready or not because they look, feel and act the same. And, if a metalized or non-recycle-ready pouch goes to Trex, it can shut down the entire line (which is a very costly issue for them). While pouches can be designed to be recycle-ready, it is currently unlikely that facilities will successfully recycle them.

This landscape is changing rapidly, and many nonprofits and industry associations are working together to make it easier for the film recycling supply chain to identify and successfully sort in PE pouches.

As such, while we recognize the current reality, we also encourage brands to pursue recycle-ready pouches. These investments will help spearhead innovation by extruders, barrier technology developers, and converters - investments that will pay off as film recycling improves.

PCR is post-consumer resin or recycled content from packaging and materials already used. This material includes soda bottles (PET), milk jugs (HDPE), and plastic bags (LDPE). When it comes to pouches, the polyethylene (LLDPE, LDPE, HDPE, and “MDO”) and PET layers can both be made with some PCR content. Then, the total PCR content across the pouch is calculated by weight percentage.

Recycled content can also be made from post-industrial or pre-consumer waste or waste that is generated from one manufacturing process that is then used by another manufacturing line. We refer to this as PIR or post-industrial resin.

In general, EcoEnclose recommends maximizing PCR as the first priority when it comes to source inputs. However, if this is not feasible, incorporating the right bioplastic resins into the construction makes sense. For us, “the right resins” includes bioplastics whose production is not actively depleting the environment. EcoEnclose avoids using corn and other industrially farmed starch-heavy crops as inputs into bio-resins. However, plastic made from bamboo, hemp, and kelp can be auspicious, and we are eager for these to be more broadly commercialized and accessible in the future.

Unfortunately, today, the commercial viability and cost of these types of inputs are limiting, so while we are actively working on these technologies long-term, we aren’t able to offer them to most brands as a packaging option today.

Learn More: Bioplastics for eCommerce Packaging

Some brands reach out looking for biodegradable pouches. This term is vague, so we work closely with them to flesh out exactly what they seek. Specifically, we work to determine:

• Are they looking for a compostable pouch? If so, we seek to understand why. Is it because your product will likely remain on the pouch (this step will help that food residue get directed to compost bins)? Then, compostable packaging is likely right. If not, compostability is likely not the right end-of-life situation.
• Are they looking for a pouch that won’t contribute to ocean plastic pollution if it ends up as litter? If yes, we first talk through the ocean plastic crisis. While some flexible packaging is likely to end up as litter (think candy bar wrappers and chip bags), most pouches sold by our brands aren’t likely to end up in the ocean. Suppose it is critical to design packaging to ensure it does not contribute to ocean plastic pollution. In that case, we encourage brands to look into paper-based packaging, including our unique, curbside recyclable, naturally biodegradable paper pouch.

Typically, “degradable” means that plastic has been given an additive that accelerates degradation in one or more types of environments, including composting facilities or landfills.

We strongly discourage brands from pursuing these types of plastic! Many degradable plastics are designed to biodegrade in landfill. This means they are designed to create methane emissions, actively contributing to landfill gas emissions. These are the third largest contributor to emissions generated by the US. Materials sent to the landfill should be stable and designed not to biodegrade!

These additives can also lead to irresponsible waste management, including composting plastics, a step that will degrade the quality of compost piles.

There are various reasons why pouches have - to date - been largely made in unsustainable ways.

Adding recycled content and post-consumer resin, in particular, can create bubbles and imperfections in the outer layer, which can be a significant challenge for brands that are extremely focused on the branding, design, and aesthetics of their packaging.

Additionally, high recycled content can mean that machines have to be run more slowly, which makes packaging more expensive for brands.

Additionally, as converters and printers work with more sustainable film for the first time, they may find that they have more waste, more stretch in the material, or adhesion issues. When designing mono-material, recycle-ready pouches, packaging providers have thus far been hesitant because of the stability and strength of the barrier properties of metal layers. The supply of sustainable inputs, such as EVOH and post-consumer resin, can be limited.

But above all, the main barrier in this space has been the general lack of demand to date. Without the pull of demand from brands, extruders, printers, and converters have no reasons to make positive progress on the sustainability of their film. Making positive progress like this is costly and time intensive and is a step that is only worth taking if brands and consumers ask for it.

As you navigate the world of eco-friendly pouches, you may decide between one pouch construction with a higher level of post-consumer waste and one that is recycle-ready. You might find yourself choosing between a recycle-ready pouch and a compostable construction.

Ultimately, that decision should be based on several factors, including

• Your brand’s sustainability framework and eco priorities. EcoEnclose has a detailed vision for sustainable packaging and a supporting framework that helps us make these complicated decisions for ourselves. We can help you create your framework and apply it to your choices.
• Your functional and barrier needs, and which construction(s) will best meet these
• The current availability of recycled content. The availability of recycled content for pouches ebbs and flows. If there is a period in which recycled content supply is minimal, it may encourage your brand to consider recycle-ready instead.
• Your willingness to bring new technologies and materials to market, particularly if they bring some changes to the pouch’s aesthetic.
• The values and priorities of your customer base.
• Your lead times. Films with high PCR can often mean higher lead times as extruders specially produce them on a one-off basis.
• Your budget.

As you can see, these answers aren't clear-cut, but we are here to navigate this process from beginning to end with you. Get in touch, and we will learn about your products, your functional packaging needs, present eco pouch options that can meet your needs, and help you choose between them based on your priorities.