Stonyfield is First with All-PE Spouted Pouch | Packaging World

The package, for Stonyfield’s YoBaby refrigerated yogurt, is a mono-material PE structure with PE cap that is recycle-ready per APR design guidelines when the infrastructure becomes available.

Known for its commitment to producing high-quality, organic yogurt, as well as its attention to sustainable packaging, Stonyfield has become the first to use the CHEERCircle all-polyethylene spouted pouch. Although the “recycle-ready” pouch is not currently able to be recycled in the U.S., it is said to provide significant environmental benefits versus a typical multi-laminate spouted pouch. It’s also well positioned for recyclability when the infrastructure becomes available. Stonyfield developed the pouch in collaboration with Cheer Pack North America and Amcor for its YoBaby refrigerated yogurt.

Spouted pouches are traditionally made from a multilayer, multi-material structure. The most common construction, according to Tom Schell, senior director – R&D, Amcor Flexibles North America, is an aluminum oxide-coated oriented PET/biaxially oriented nylon/PE structure, whereby the AlOx-coated OPET provides the barrier and a printing substrate, the BON provides toughness, and the PE provides the sealing surface.

In contrast, the new Stonyfield package uses Amcor’s AmPrima PE Plus, an all-PE film that meets the APR Design Guide for recyclability. According to Amcor, high-barrier, heat-resistant AmPrima PE Plus flexible film was engineered to address the challenges with producing an all-PE spouted pouch.

“Many liquid products packaged in spouted pouches require moisture and oxygen barriers to preserve the content,” says Amcor. “Highly durable and repeatable hermetic seals along the pouch edges and fitment seal are required to deliver a safe and desirable end-user experience.”

To allow for sealing and fitment insertion without distortion, AmPrima PE Plus features a heat-resistant outer web. For the Stonyfield yogurt application, the required oxygen barrier is delivered through the inclusion of ethylene vinyl alcohol, which is compatible in the PE recycling stream, while HDPE is used to enhance the moisture barrier to the appropriate level.

Also important for the project was the selection of the pouch fitment. The team chose the Cheer Pack Vizi PE cap to ensure the entire pouch would pass critical guidance testing as defined by APR. The Vizi Cap is said to improve tamper-evidence, as well as significantly reduce plastic use when compared with traditional pouch fitments. According to Cheer Pack, use of the Vizi Cap can result in a reduction of five-plus tons per 10 million caps, or the equivalent of 15,460 lb of CO2.

To validate the AmPrima Plus structure in production environments, Amcor R&D worked closely with Cheer Pack North America’s pouching and spouting experts. Says Laura Stevenson, marketing manager for Amcor Flexibles North America, “This open collaboration resulted in a package that achieved all customer expectations, including standard line speeds for converting at Cheer Pack North America and filling lines at Stonyfield Organic.”

As noted, although the pouch is designated as recycle-ready, Stevenson explains that at present, the infrastructure to recycle flexible packaging via MRFs (municipal recycling facilities) in the U.S. is insufficient. “The AmPrima portfolio provides customers with a packaging solution that is designed to be recycled, if clean and dry, through existing store drop-offs,” she says. “Today, that is difficult for liquid products as materials need to be clean and dry prior to going into the PE-recycling stream. However, the recycling industry along with Amcor, are working to change that.”

Even when not recycled, significant sustainability benefits accrue from the use of AmPrima PE Plus film versus a three-ply foil structure incumbent, shares Amcor. These include a 5% reduction in non-renewable energy use, a 22% reduction in carbon footprint, and a 51% reduction in water consumption. Those numbers rise to 53%, 49%, and 66%, respectively, if the film were to be recycled.

In February 2024, when Stonyfield’s use of the pouch was announced, Sophie Schmitt, director of marketing for the organic yogurt company, said, “Stonyfield has been an environmental pioneer since the day we were founded as an organic farming school in 1983. Over the last four decades, we’ve been leaders in sustainability, and we take our commitments seriously. We’re thrilled to collaborate with Amcor and Cheer Pack North America on a sustainable pouch solution to help achieve our long-term packaging goals and make steps toward protecting the planet for generations to come.” PW