Symrise Pet Food Thailand recently announced the start of its long-term zero-plastic waste policy in Asia Pacific, starting with its operations in Thailand. The company is embarking on a plastic use reduction in its internal value chain, and would only opt to use 100% recyclable or reusable plastic when absolutely necessary.
The company also reported that by increasing the capacity of its IBCs (intermediate bulk containers) that transport its products, they were able to save 9% of plastic per ton of product delivered. Also, they now prefer IBCs that are wood pallet mounted instead of plastic pallets.
As most plastics are used for packaging, Symrise will also encourage its customers to switch from small to bigger packs of pet food when possible.
“The APAC region is generating 60% of the world's plastic waste. It is important for us to anticipate restrictions on the consumption of single-use plastics and the use of micro-plastics by 2030, by raising awareness among all our employees,” the company said.
Externally, Symrise is partnering with Second Life, a project team that helps organizations kickstart circular plastic supply chains that clean oceans. The goal is to collect and recycle local plastic waste in the ocean that at least equals the amount of plastic packaging that the company used in previous year to offset their production's impact on the environment.
Citing a World Wildlife Fund report on plastic that warned of more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050, Symrise said it is time to engage all its partners and every company to prevent such ecological disaster.
By next year, Symrise expects its subsidiaries in China and Australia to follow the lead of Thailand in implementing the zero-plastic waste policy.
In March, a similar campaign with rePurpose Global saw 20 pet food brands banding together to reduce the plastic in their packaging and supply chains and finance the recovery of nature-bound plastic waste.
The pet food industry produces an estimated 300 million pounds of plastic waste each year in the United States alone. Most packaging is made from non-recyclable or hard-to-recycle materials. This has resulted in 99% of all pet food packaging being thrown away rather than recycled, ending up in landfills or oceans.
Symrise Pet Food is a division of Symrise and was formed upon the acquisition of leading pet food solution manufacturers that include Diana Pet Food, ADF/IsoNova and Schaffelaarbos. Only this July 2022, Symrise completed its acquisition of Wing Pet Food, a Chinese leader in pet food palatability enhancers and supplier of pet food nutrition and pet food protection ingredients.
