As pressure mounts from regulators and consumers to reduce packaging waste, CPG companies are finding that sustainability progress doesn’t always require sweeping changes: Small, targeted packaging improvements can add up to a big impact at scale.
From replacing plastic with paper to removing colorants that complicate recycling, food and beverage manufacturers are making practical changes to reduce packaging waste and improve recyclability in compliance with regulations rolling out across states and countries.
Earlier this year the first major reporting deadlines went into effect for six of the 33 states, including Washington, DC, that have passed extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws requiring qualifying companies to track, report and in some cases pay a fee for the packaging they place on the market.
At the same time, consumers are rewarding companies making the effort to shrink their footprint. A survey of more than 2,000 US consumers released last month by the equipment and packaging company Shorr found nearly two-thirds (62%) have consciously purchased products with sustainable packaging in the past six months – up from 54% in 2025. The percentage who said they are more likely to buy from businesses that offer sustainable packaging also inched up 3 percentage points to 93% in the same period.
Against this backdrop, even seemingly modest packaging changes are gaining significance.
Here are five recent examples of food and beverage companies making swaps designed to deliver benefits at scale.
Campbell’s made packaging more sustainable across its portfolio
The soup and snack brand announced Nov. 5 that it replaced the plastic dog bone packaging around twin packs of Rao’s Homemade jars of marinera sauce with a recyclable paper-based Cluster Clip that the company says is more ergonomic and easier to remove. It plans to transition all remaining Rao’s Homemade formats to this packaging by the first quarter of fiscal 2027.
It also removed the mixed-material layers in the 38 ounce and 45 ounce plastic polyethylene terephthalate bottles to make more than 31 million bottles recyclable in 2025 – saving 62,000 pounds of glass and 7,000 pounds of metal.
Finally, it added 25% post-consumer recycled content to its PET canisters for Synder’s of Hanover pretzels.
PepsiCo lightweighted Gatorade and Lipton bottles
The beverage giant reduced plastic by more 7 million pounds by making the packaging lighter for beverages including Gatorade and Lipton.
Target removed carbon-black colorant from food packaging
The retailer reported in September that in 2025 it ditched the carbon-black colorant from PET trays used for its Good & Gather and Favorite Day bakery, deli, cracker-cut cheese and fresh mushroom products – a small change that made approximately 431,000 pounds of packaging more compatible with existing recycling systems.
Bel Group swaps cellophane with paper
As part of a broader effort to remove plastic while preserving food safety and the experience consumers expect, Bel Group replaced the outer wrap of its iconic Babybel cheese with a paper-based material that is compatible with paper recycling streams. The shift began in the UK with plans to roll out the packaging in the US in 2026. Bel estimates the global transition will save 850 metric tons of packaging material annually. It has also committed to using certified sourced paper packaging for all of its Babybel products by 2027.
Mars rethinks pantry jars for recycling and reusability
The confection company teamed with Berry Global to transition large pantry jars of M&M’s, Skittles and Starburst to 100% post-consumer recycled plastic. While the switch excludes the lids, the company expects to eliminate more than 1,300 metric tons of virgin plastic annually.
