From Scarcity to Solutions 2025

Mengniu Dairy’s focus on sustainable packagingCase study 5 Mengniu Dairy, China’s 2nd largest and the world’s 9th largest dairy producer, operates under its GREEN sustainability strategy, targeting carbon peaking by 2030 and full value-chain carbon neutrality by 2050. Technology innovations Sustainable packaging –Green packaging working group: In 2024, Mengniu established a green packaging working group, prioritizing packaging transformation through its 4R1D framework (reduce, recycle, reuse, renew, degradable). Key targets include eliminating PVC/EPS by 2025, supporting industry-wide recycling rates of 40% for paper cartons and >90% for PET bottles, reducing fossil-based plastic by 35,000 tonnes by 2030 and ensuring 20% recycled plastic content in packaging by 2035.38 –Design optimization: Uncoated paper surfaces, plant-based bottle caps, label-free packaging and material substitutions (e.g. bamboo fibre). Plant-based caps reduce carbon footprint by 19% versus conventional counterparts. –Data infrastructure: A proprietary packaging material database tracks 20+ materials and 5,000+ packaging records. Outcomes –100% of outer cartons use recycled paper and 98.5% of total packaging weight is recyclable. –Six products are certified carbon-neutral under ISO and PAS standards. Lessons learned –Policy-aligned targets drive circularity. –However, material R&D costs may remain prohibitive for SMEs.Source: Mengniu Dairy interviews and materials review. From Scarcity to Solutions: Food-Water Innovation in Asia and the Middle East 23