Canadian dairy cooperative adopts recycle-ready packaging for premium cheese

Amcor has worked with Canadian dairy cooperative Agropur to introduce recycle-ready packaging for its Grand Cheddar™ premium cheese range, supporting a reduction in material use and associated environmental impacts.

The project involved redesigning the cheese packaging structure, transitioning from a paperboard overpack combined with flow wrap film to a fully flexible format. According to Amcor, the change resulted in an 82% reduction in overall packaging weight, alongside lower greenhouse gas emissions and supply chain-related costs, while retaining the product’s premium visual appearance.

The updated packaging uses Amcor’s AmPrima® Plus recycle-ready material, which has been commercialised to help dairy processors meet sustainability requirements increasingly driven by retailer expectations and regulatory developments across North America. The company states that the material is designed to offer recyclability without compromising barrier performance or pack functionality.

To maintain the visual presentation of the Grand Cheddar™ brand, finishing techniques including matte coatings and metallic inks were applied to the flexible packaging. These treatments were intended to replicate the look and shelf presence of the previous premium format.

The new Agropur Grand Cheddar™ package demonstrates flexible packaging’s unique ability to deliver meaningful source reduction and cost savings. Amcor’s AmPrima® Plus solution represents innovation in material technology. It's the industry’s first recycle-ready flow wrap for chunk cheese, a multi-billion dollar food category, that meets the Association of Plastic Recycler’s guidelines for recyclability without compromising other packaging performance requirements.

John Kearny, Senior Commercial Director – Dairy, Amcor Flexibles North America.

Amcor reports that, when recycled, AmPrima® Plus flow wrap delivers a 45% reduction in carbon footprint compared with standard flow wrap materials. This figure is based on an internal life cycle assessment carried out using Amcor’s ASSET™ methodology and certified by the Carbon Trust.