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PepsiCo’s sustainable packaging strategy, part of its PepsiCo Positive (pep+) transformation, is guided by a vision to create a world where packaging never becomes waste. Through innovation, infrastructure investment, and collaboration, PepsiCo continues to advance packaging solutions that balance product protection, performance, and sustainability, contributing to the broader shift toward a circular economy for packaging.
While long-term initiatives continue to progress, including efforts to create recyclable mono-material films and pilot biodegradable flexible packaging, PepsiCo recognizes that immediate opportunities exist to address the sustainability of its current packaging portfolio, particularly multi-layer metallized polyolefin-based flexible films widely used for snacks and other dry products. These films offer excellent barrier protection, printability, and high-speed processability, which make them ideal for product freshness and large-scale manufacturing. However, their laminated structure, metallized coatings, and complex ink and adhesive systems limit the recycling possibility or final recycle output as these components are difficult to separate or remove through conventional mechanical processes and can interfere with the quality and efficiency of downstream recycling or recovery pathways.
To bridge the gap between future-ready materials and current operational realities, PepsiCo continues to explore innovative recovery solutions. As progress in recycling and conversion technologies accelerates globally, PepsiCo aims to stay at the forefront of identifying scalable and economically viable approaches that enable circularity for its current packaging streams.
We are looking for innovative, not-yet-commercialized technologies and processes that enable the recovery, recycling, conversion, or valorization of multi-layer flexible packaging, composed primarily of polyolefin blends, metallized films, coatings, and inks, to support circularity and sustainability within PepsiCo’s current packaging portfolio. While PepsiCo is already familiar with current commercial technologies in areas such as solvent-based processes, chemical recycling, pyrolysis, gasification, delamination and de-inking or use of critical CO2 to further decontaminate, we are seeking novel mechanisms, differentiated process enhancements, new catalyst systems, or breakthrough platform technologies that could meaningfully improve efficiency, yield, purity, environmental performance, or economic viability compared to existing solutions.
- Next-generation solvent-based polymer recovery and purification technologies
- Novel chemical recycling pathways
- Advanced pyrolysis or catalytic pyrolysis with improved yields or selectivity
- Breakthrough microwave or plasma-assisted conversion processes
- Innovative gasification or reforming approaches with higher efficiency
- Reprocessing into value-added composites (e.g., boards, molded products, or fibers)
- Compatibilizers or additives enabling recovery of mixed polyolefins
- Novel technologies based on physical, traceable process
- Low-energy carbon decontamination technologies that can further purify the output material
- New or improved catalysts that reduce overall energy demand
- Advanced de-inking or delamination technologies for improved material recovery
- Supercritical fluid or advanced solvent systems with superior polymer separation
- Carbon recovery or mineralization approaches
- Applicable to multi-layer flexible packaging containing polyolefins, inks, and coatings
- Preliminary lab data supporting technical feasibility
- Novel mechanism, meaningful improvement, or differentiated advantage compared to existing technologies (with focus on improving polymer recovery and low energy demand)
- Evidence of scalability or potential pathway toward pilot-scale demonstration
- Quantitative indicators of improved environmental performance or resource efficiency
- Potential for byproduct valorization or generation of secondary resources
- Solutions that create significant hazardous byproducts or uncontrolled emissions
- Approaches based on commercially available technologies without meaningful innovation or differentiation
- Energy valorization
- Cement kiln co-processing
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
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