# The Case for Advanced Recycling as a Path to Sustainable Food Packaging for Specialized Nutrition Products

## TL;DR

This paper argues that advanced recycling is key to creating safe, sustainable packaging for specialized nutrition products in the US.

## Contribution

It highlights the need for advanced recycling and supportive policies to ensure safe packaging for vulnerable populations.

## Key findings

- Few scientific papers address packaging for specialized nutrition products and advanced recycling.
- Advanced recycling is essential to meet new PCR content mandates and sustainability goals.
- Current policies need strengthening to support safe and sustainable packaging for vulnerable groups.

## Abstract

Food packaging helps in labeling, transport, preservation, and the safety of food. Safety is especially critical in processing foods for vulnerable populations like infants/children, individuals with medical conditions, and older adults. These groups frequently rely on specialized nutrition products, including foods regulated in the United States (US) as infant formulas, medical foods, and foods for special dietary use (FSDU). As US states set post-consumer recycled (PCR) content mandates for product packaging, newer technologies like advanced recycling are essential to meet developing demands for recycled and sustainable packaging materials for specialized nutrition products. Also, advanced recycling must be fully supported in sustainability policies to ensure an adequate and safe recycled packaging supply. However, these urgent needs may not be well-recognized or understood. A literature search to identify scientific publications produced during the last 25 years found few papers specific to the packaging of specialized nutrition products and advanced recycling. Understanding emerging trends in safe food packaging materials, recycling, and sustainability policies is essential for maintaining access to specialized nutrition products in the US. This Perspective makes the case for advanced recycling as a path to safe, more sustainable food packaging for US specialized nutrition products and describes opportunities for strengthening the advanced recycling policy framework.