Amcor teams up with Riverside Natural Foods for eco-conscious MadeGood Bar packaging

USA – Amcor, a global leader in responsible packaging, has partnered with Riverside Natural Foods, the maker of MadeGood snacks, to launch a new recyclable paper-based wrapper for MadeGood Trail Mix Bars.

Unveiled during Earth Month, the innovation combines sustainability with high performance, a first for the snack bar category.

The new packaging uses Amcor’s AmFiber technology—a paper-based laminate made from FSC-certified (C206475) fiber—that offers curbside recyclability in the paper stream.

Compared to conventional plastic bar wraps, the AmFiber solution reduces virgin plastic content by 77%.

It has also been certified by Western Michigan University for repulpability, confirming its compatibility with recycling systems.

Amcor’s R&D team worked closely with Riverside Natural Foods to ensure the new wrapper maintained the visual appeal and production speed required for large-scale snack packaging.

The result is a recyclable package with no compromise on graphic quality or efficiency on the production line.

The two companies conducted an independent home usage study to ensure the packaging met consumer expectations, allowing participants to use and assess the product in real-life scenarios.

The independent home usage study results were promising and clearly reflected strong consumer support for the new paper-based packaging.

A significant 79% of participants said the paper wrapper was “somewhat better” or “much better” than the conventional plastic wrappers typically used for snack bars.

This suggests that the sustainable packaging not only met but exceeded user expectations regarding usability and experience.

Additionally, 79% of consumers indicated they would prefer this product over a competing brand that does not use recyclable packaging.

This finding underscores the growing consumer demand for environmentally friendly packaging solutions and highlights how sustainable design can be a key differentiator in a competitive market.

“The partnership of Amcor and Riverside Natural Foods pairs two industry leaders in sustainability to deliver an innovative package that is How2Recycle certified and easy for consumers to recycle anywhere,” said Desmond VanHouten, Director of Marketing at Amcor Flexibles North America.

Riverside Natural Foods echoed the sentiment. Salma Fotovat, Co-founder and Director of Sourcing, Procurement, and Impact, noted, “At Riverside Natural Foods, we’re always driven by curiosity and a commitment to do better.

“Creating a category-first paper wrapper was our next step toward a more sustainable future. We’re incredibly proud to bring this innovation to life with our partners at Amcor.”

This collaboration highlights a growing shift toward eco-conscious packaging that aligns with consumer expectations while delivering on performance and brand integrity.

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