Gerber, an early childhood nutrition leader, announced a first-of-its-kind, single-material baby food pouch designed for the future of recycling.The  single-material baby food pouch is designed to increase recycling value and promote the circular economy.

Developed in partnership with Gualapack, a manufacturer of premade spouted pouches, this is the latest initiative in Gerber's journey to make 100 percent of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025. It is also an important milestone in creating a wider market for recycled plastics that are safe for food.

"Designing with a single material creates greater value for the recycling industry, promoting the development of better recycling infrastructure," said associate director of packaging at Gerber, Tony Dzikowicz. "After more than two years of experimenting and innovating, we were able to help create a first-of-its-kind solution for baby food that meets the safety and freshness requirements for our little ones."

With Nestlé as a founding member of Materials Recovery for the Future (MRFF), a research collaborative committed to creating recycling solutions, Gerber is helping to expand curbside recycling for the pouch – and all baby food pouches. MRFF's pilot program in Pottstown, PA is now the first curbside recycling program in the U.S. to accept flexible plastics such as these.

"We believe the baby food industry should help create a world where babies thrive, and initiatives like this one help us go beyond nutrition to protect the planet," said Gerber President and CEO Bill Partyka. "We're committed to making 100 percent of our packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025, and this pouch is an important step in promoting the development of better recycling infrastructure."

The pouch will be available exclusively on TheGerberStore.com for Gerber's Organic Banana Mango Puree beginning in May 2020, with expansion in product offerings to follow.

The pouch will be 100 percent recyclable through Gerber's national recycling program with TerraCycle, a social enterprise on a mission to eliminate the idea of waste. Gerber's sustainability efforts go beyond packaging, with a focus on reducing energy use, water use and carbon emissions in its factories, and upholding some of the industry's strongest agricultural standards through its Clean Field Farming practices. Gerber is also continuing to expand its USDA Certified Organic product lines.

Gerber Products Co. was founded in 1928 in Fremont, Mich. Gerber joined the Nestlé family in 2007. www.Gerber.com.