Dechra Veterinary Products - new organic pet food as kind to the planet as it is to pets

Specialist packaging supplier Tyler Packaging recently supplied cat and dog food brand Dechra Veterinary Products with fully recyclable packaging for their new organic range of SPECIFIC ™ pet food range. SPECIFIC is one of the first pet food brands to introduce an organic option to consumers in eco-friendly packaging, offering a healthy pet food choice to environmentally conscious owners.

With previous success creating 100% recyclable packaging for pet food brands, Leamington Spa-based Tyler Packaging was perfectly placed for this project. SPECIFIC’s new packaging needed to be robust enough to protect the food, be able to run through filling lines and be strong enough to be transported without cracking or splitting. Until now, non-recyclable, multiple-layer, laminated packaging has been the only way to do this - however, Tyler Packaging has found a sustainable solution. 

Whereas the packaging of competitor products use layers of different plastics that cannot be recycled, SPECIFIC’s new packaging features single layers of the same recyclable plastic with a gas barrier in between.

This makes SPECIFIC’s dry pet food bags fully recyclable, as well as lighter and stronger than PET/PE laminates of the same thickness. Not only that, but once these dry pet food bags have been used and recycled, they can be processed into granules and made into a film that can be used to make new things - including more dry pet food bags.

The new SPECIFIC organic range is now available for vets to stock and is the first step for Dechra in making all of their packaging fully recyclable by 2023.

“We are committed to providing a more ethical and environmentally sound choice for eco-conscious pet owners. It’s part of Dechra’s ‘Circle of Good’ commitment to reduce our business’s impact on the world,” says Dechra Brand Manager Claire Morgan.

Dechra’s Circle of Good has introduced a number of ways that the business can be more green, from buying from certified sustainable forests and installing solar panels on its warehouse, to partnering with ‘The Ocean Cleanup’ to clean up plastic waste in the ocean.

Adam Kay, Sales and Technical Director at Tyler Packaging, says, “This was a challenging project, and we are very pleased with the finished result. With Dechra’s Circle of Good, it was important not only we delivered a fully recyclable bag with a high barrier to keep the food fresh, but a bag that was superior to their current packaging in performance, functionality and most importantly pack weight. This enables Dechra to reduce their impact on the planet by reducing the total weight of their packaging. Using Tyler’s fully certified TOPE/PE structure we have been able to produce a bag with a high gloss finish, Easy Open feature and Easy Lock zipper for enhanced consumer experience. - all in a 100% LDPE pack. A key challenge for our industry is to be able to produce packaging designed for recycling.

Tyler Packaging are constantly pushing forward and will be launching a 30% recycled content pack and 30% bio-based pack in the very near future, all whilst remaining 100% recyclable.”

 

Dechra Veterinary Products  Ltd offers a range of pharmaceutical products and instruments to veterinary practices in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Dechra Veterinary Products specialises in the development and marketing of licensed branded pharmaceuticals in the global veterinary market. An innovative company, it invests in the development of products and services while providing a high level of support to vets. Their expertise spans dermatology, endocrinology, equine medicine, ophthalmology, critical care, and diet and nutrition.

Tyler Packaging was founded in 1982 and is a specialist supplier of Innovative, Sustainable flexible packaging to the food, pet food, lawn and garden, Sports Nutrition and Wellbeing industries. They offer a comprehensive range of films, pre-made bags, pouches, and sacks that encompass the most up-to-date production and materials technology. All of their products are produced in accordance with the BRC/IoP Standard for Food Grade Packaging, as well as those of ISO 9001 and ISO14001.

For more information about Tyler Packaging, please contact Sofie Tooke at ASSISTED: [email protected]