Walmart Chile chooses NEXT FLEX to achieve its corporate sustainability goals in 2025.

Niederwieser Group, Smartpack Chile and Walmart Chile found a common opportunity to introduce a sustainable packaging option – NEXT FLEX – in order to achieve corporate and legislative sustainability goals, and thus jointly promote a circular economy that works for plastic.

Walmart is an American multinational retail corporation that operates chains of large discount supermarkets and warehouse stores. Walmart has a total of 11,496 stores in 27 countries and more than 524,000 million dollars in sales.

VF Verpackungen GmbH, a member of the Niederwieser Group, is one of the European leaders in the production of multilayer flexible films for MAP and vacuum applications, using the most advanced 11-layer coextrusion technology.

Abroad, VF Verpackungen GmbH cooperates with an extensive and exclusive distribution network.

In Chile, VF Verpackungen GmbH has the experience of Smartpack, one of the main distributors of consumables for packaging and machinery for the food industry in Chile and responsible for the collaboration with Walmart Chile and its Walmart Food and Services factories.

"Walmart Chile's intention is to always launch the best product on the market in terms of sustainability, considering the environmental impact of the product in terms of sustainability, together with food safety and shelf life. Among other solutions, the Next Flex film was chosen as the best solution for our frozen minced meat products."

Mr. Marco Godoy Sepulveda

Buyer WAyS Commercial Management

Walmart Chile chooses Next Flex: the sustainable packaging solution

Walmart Chile own-brand products, packaged with NEXT FLEX MPO films, meet the desired contribution to recyclability and sustainability requirements.

The shelf life of the product has increased considerably thanks to the properties and structure
Next Flex high barrier. In addition, the gloss of the film allows the packaging and therefore
the product, are more attractive to the consumer, optimizing the presence of the trays of
meat at the point of sale.

According to Mr. Marco Godoy Sepulveda – Buyer WAyS Commercial Management, the introduction
of the NEXT FLEX product has brought Walmart one step closer to achieving and meeting its sustainability goals.

“Walmart Chile’s intention is to always launch the best product on the market in terms of sustainability, considering the environmental impact of the product in terms of sustainability, along with food safety and shelf life. Among other solutions, the Next Flex film was chosen
as the best solution for our frozen minced meat products.”

Achieving sustainability goals with NEXT FLEX

Walmart declared worldwide the need to achieve specific sustainability goals and defines the year 2025 as the deadline for all the packaging of its products and its own brand to be completely sustainable or recyclable.

Therefore, all Walmart suppliers must meet its quality standards and be aligned with its commitments, which are listed and updated in the guidelines of the ‘Packaging Style Guide’.

Thanks to these intentions and the efforts of Smartpack Chile, Walmart joined in a
sustainable cooperation with the Niederwieser Group. Together the three companies developed the appropriate solution: Next Flex, a new line of sustainable, certified and recyclable MPO films, based on a high-barrier PP/EVOH/PE structure.