Pets at Home installs recycling points

Pets at Home has announced plans to introduce in-store recycling points for flexible pet food packaging, in what will be an “industry first”.

The new initiative, which is being supported by pet food producers Mars and Purina PetCare, is being trialed across 40 stores and three Vets4Pets practices across the country and aims to combat flexible packaging waste in the sector. 

Working with specialist recycler Enval, who have developed a microwave induced pyrolysis process which easily recycles and recovers flexible, rigid and complex plastics, Pets at Home and its partners are establishing the first store take-back and recycling scheme specifically for pet food packaging.

The process involves heating the packaging up to 600 degrees to separate the aluminium and plastics layers.  

The trial will see pet food pouches go through a “specially designed process” to turn the packaging back into materials ready for reuse. Following the trial, the initiative will be rolled out wider across the country.

Louise Stonier, chief people and culture officer at Pets at Home, said: “We are really excited to be able to offer this recycling service as we know it is important to make it convenient for our customers to return their used packaging when they come to our pet care centres. 

“This is all part of  ‘Our Better World Pledge’ to create a better world for pets and the people who love them.”