Paper-Based Packaging Consortium Seeks Sustainable Alternatives

Colgate-Palmolive, Mars, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, and Unilever have joined forces to accelerate the development of paper-based flexible packaging. The PaperFlex Consortium, convened by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and powered by (RE)SET, aims to tackle one of the biggest challenges in flexible packaging: creating alternatives that can meet technical, economic, and environmental demands.

The six major consumer goods companies will share the cost, risk, and learning involved in developing new packaging technologies. The consortium will focus on collaborative research and trials, particularly in markets where formal collection and recycling systems are limited.

Paper-based alternatives must be responsibly sourced and produced, meet technical, economic, and consumer requirements, be recyclable locally, avoid hazardous chemicals and persistent plastic pollution, and fit into a broader circular economy strategy. The consortium also has a dual end-of-life ambition: recyclability where collection and recycling systems allow it, alongside biodegradability for packaging that could otherwise escape into the environment.