Mar 5, 2020
Gerber develops recycle-able pouch for organic baby food
Nestle’s Gerber recently unveiled a new single-material baby food pouch designed for the future of recycling.
Developed in partnership with Gualapack, the world leader of premade spouted pouches, this is the latest initiative in Gerber’s journey to make 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025.
The first-of-its-kind, single-material baby food pouch is designed to increase recycling value and promote the circular economy, Gerber officials said in a press release.
The pouch will be available exclusively on TheGerberStore.com for Gerber’s Organic Banana Mango Puree beginning in May 2020, with expansion in product offerings to follow, the company said. The pouch will be 100% recyclable through Gerber’s national recycling program with TerraCycle, a social enterprise on a mission to eliminate the idea of waste.
“Designing with a single material creates greater value for the recycling industry, promoting the development of better recycling infrastructure,” said Associate Director of Packaging at Gerber, Tony Dzikowicz. “After more than two years of experimenting and innovating, we were able to help create a first-of-its-kind solution for baby food that meets the safety and freshness requirements for our little ones.”
Gerber Products Company was founded in 1928 in Fremont, Mich. Gerber joined the Nestlé family on September 1, 2007.
Gerber’s sustainability efforts go beyond packaging, with a focus on reducing energy use, water use and carbon emissions in its factories, and upholding some of the industry’s strongest agricultural standards through its Clean Field Farming practices, the company said. Gerber is also continuing to expand its USDA Certified Organic product lines, the company said.
Michigan growers who supply Gerber, such as Crystal Valley Organics near Hart, have worked with the company to grow new organic crops for its processing plant in Fremont.
