Recycle-Ready Flexible Packaging for Dairy Flow Wrap

Amcor and Agropur are deploying a recycle-ready flexible flow wrap packaging system to support sustainable dairy packaging and compliance with recycling guidelines. The cooperation addresses material efficiency and performance for chunk cheese packaging in North American markets.

Context of the Cooperation
Amcor plc is a global packaging solutions provider specializing in flexible and rigid materials for food and consumer products. Agropur Cooperative is one of Canada’s largest dairy producers, with a portfolio of cheese and dairy products sold through retail channels. The two companies collaborated to redesign the packaging for Agropur’s Grand Cheddar premium cheese, focused on reducing material use while maintaining functional and aesthetic requirements typical of dairy packaging systems.

The key challenge was to meet evolving retailer sustainability requirements and legislative mandates for recyclable packaging in North America without degrading barrier properties, mechanical performance, or processing efficiency. Traditional paperboard overpack combined with standard flow wrap films offered limited recyclability and higher material mass.

Technical Solution and Responsibilities
The cooperation resulted in commercialization of AmPrima Plus a mono-material flexible flow wrap film engineered for recyclability according to guidelines from the Association of Plastic Recyclers. Amcor led the material development, testing, and certification processes to deliver a film that balances recyclability, mechanical strength, and barrier performance suited to dairy applications. Amcor also integrated Amplify finishing technologies (matte overlacquer and metallic inks) to preserve branding and print quality.

Agropur’s role included specifying functional requirements for Grand Cheddar chunk cheese packaging and validating that the new structure could be processed on existing packaging lines without modifications, ensuring equivalent line speeds and product protection metrics. The project required alignment of requirements across material formulation, printability, and supply chain deployment.

Technically, AmPrima Plus is a flexible film designed to function as a flow wrap that retains essential properties  abrasion resistance, clarity, heat resistance, and product protection while being compatible with current recycling streams. According to an Amcor ASSET life cycle assessment (third-party certified by Carbon Trust), the AmPrima^® Plus flow wrap reduces carbon footprint by ~45% compared with a standard flow wrap film and decreases overall packaging weight by ~82% versus the prior paperboard overpack structure.

Deployment and Implementation
The solution has been implemented in commercial production for Agropur’s Grand Cheddar cheese packaging and integrated into existing flexible packaging lines. The drop-in nature of AmPrima Plus film means dairy processors can transition without capital expenditure on new machinery and with minimal line stoppages during changeovers. It supports equivalent throughput and maintains product shelf integrity.

Applications and Operational Benefits
This cooperation targets the industrial dairy sector, specifically chunk cheese packaging, where flexible packaging systems must balance sustainability with barrier performance and line efficiency. The recycle-ready packaging supports compliance with retailer sustainability criteria and waste-management guidelines, aligning with industry trends toward recyclable flexible materials. The cooperative solution also broadens Amcor’s portfolio of recycle-ready formats for dairy, including stand-up pouches and forming/non-forming applications.

Results and Expected Impact
Deployment of the AmPrima Plus solution yields measurable material reduction and carbon footprint benefits while preserving operational performance. By eliminating the paperboard overpack and adopting a mono-material flexible film, Agropur has reduced packaging mass and achieved recyclability under current guidelines, enabling the dairy cooperative to align packaging systems with sustainability and regulatory objectives.

www.amcor.com