Sustainable Packaging - Material Alternatives

There are several sustainable packaging materials that can replace plastic in a number of applications. Here are some resources I've pulled together to help you learn about the alternatives out there. Several options are currently available only from overseas manufacturers and high quantities, but manufacturing will soon be available in the US.

Not all bioplastics and fiber/fiber-composites can be used under all circumstances. For example, PLA is brittle in frozen settings and some fibers don't hold up in frozen setting either due to their lack of moisture resistance. Some, though may be ideal for other applications and these materials are constantly being improved for commercial packaging uses.

Shortlist:

• Polylactide Acid (PLA) Plastics
• Bagasse (Sugar Cane Pulp)
• Palm Fiber
• Biomass Fiber Composite - AgroResin
• Reed Fiber - a Japanese Innovation
• PlasTerra - Biodegradable Plastic

(full article with images below...)

Polylactide Acid (PLA) Plastics

PLA is a transparent plastic made from natural resources (like
cornstarch). It can be processed as easily as petroleum-based plastics,
and can run on the same equipment. This makes it a very attainable
choice for those companies looking to change plastic components, like
thermoformed trays, to something more environmentally friendly. The
drawback is that it looks like ordinary plastic and if mixed with
recyclables, it can cause contamination, rendering the recyclable
plastic unusable. It can also be brittle at low temperatures, like
frozen foods.

Find out more about PLA plastics at NatureWorks and Mirel.

Bagasse (Sugar Cane Pulp)
Bagasse is a fibrous material
with a natural ivory color. When sugar cane is crushed to extract its
juice, what remains is bagasse. Bagasse is used to make insulated
disposable food containers, replacing materials such as Styrofoam.

You can learn more about bagasse on Wikipedia. Bagasse suppliers are primarily in Thailand and Malaysia.

Palm Fiber
Palm fiber is the leftover material
after the palm fruit is harvested for oil. This material is similar to
bagasse in that they're both used primarily to make packaging like
molded trays.

Earthcycle is a maker of FDA approved palm fiber trays. Visit their website to learn more.

Biomass Fiber Composite - AgroResin

AgroResin is a renewable and compostable material made from
agricultural biomass. It has a natural appearance, similar to palm
fiber packaging.

AgroResin® is made by PWP Industries (image shown above). This is another interesting alternative to petroleum-based plastic trays.

Reed Fiber - a Japanese Innovation
Reeds grow quickly.
They can be composted and return to a  crop-soil-cycle. Also, grown on
the shore or riverbanks, reed doesn't compete for acreage with food
crops - as do plants grown for biodiesel. This material is from Japan
and is made from 100% reed fiber.

Made by Japanese manufacturer, Masuki (website in Japanese).

PlasTerra - Biodegradable Plastic
PlasTerra™ is a biodegradable and compostable plastic made using a blend of various
commercially available bioresins. Includes starch, PLA, and other fillers.

Download the PlasTerra data sheet.

PlasTerra may be offered by your usual plastic thermoformer (disposable trays). Plastic thermoforming companies like TrayPak, recommended this as a possible alternative to PLA, which can be brittle in frozen use settings.

This area of sustainable packaging is continually evolving. As more
options become available, we will be letting our readers know on
theDieline. (Let me know if you have any questions or feedback - we'd
love to help if we can.)

Comments

[Alexey Feldgendler]

Any alternatives to PVC film?

[Kristan]

Thanks for this! I'm definitely interested in this area of package design. I hope you will keep bringing this information to our attention.

[Jen Montgomery]

Thank you for this. I have been researching more responsible packaging choices for a few years now. There are a few other materials that I have come across:-Enviroshell and other similar alternatives to blister packaging. It consists of two pieces of E Flute that are sealed by pressure/heat along the edges. The package can be easily opened with a butter knife or a tear strip can be added to the die. No adhesive is used. Once the package is opened up, the blister pops out for easier separating for recycling. There is more graphic real estate. The material is super sturdy, so there isn't a warping problem. In medium to large quantities it is actually less expensive than a traditional blister. Really cool stuff. I cannot wait to see more of it on the market.-treeless paper, such as paper made of stone, denim, banana leaf, etc.-FSC certified papers. I like these because the FSC has high standards and tracks every point in the production line of all of its papers to make sure they are operating with fair trade and replenishing the resources that are used to make the paper.-rPET (recycled PET)-seeded paper: paper with actual seeds embedded and can be planted

[Jess Sand]

Another thanks for covering this subject. I'd like to just add a couple of thoughts about sustainable packaging as it relates to designers:

1. Consider not just the packaging material's composition, but also it's entire life cycle. This includes the resources and impact necessary for its production, as well as moving it from point A to point B.

2. Consider the consumer. How a package is used (or not used, or not re-used) matters. Will the consumer know what to do with it (i.e. toss it in the compost been vs. the recycling bin vs. the trash bin)? Choosing an environmentally preferable material might also require teaching the consumer how to dispose of it.

Just a couple of details that shouldn't be overlooked when integrating these kinds of materials into one's design.

[Nocat]

You will be interested in this post by Patrick Nolan. Lately, we in the packaging industry have been thinking a lot about the concept of sustainability, particularly as it relates to package design.The following, is the Message From the Chairman message I wrote for the most recent ASTM D10 Newsletter that helps clarify this issue and exactly what sustainability and sustainable packaging means, and will continue to mean, for our industry.

[Nocat]

You will be interested in this post by Patrick Nolan. Lately, we in the packaging industry have been thinking a lot about the concept of sustainability, particularly as it relates to package design.The following, is the Message From the Chairman message I wrote for the most recent ASTM D10 Newsletter that helps clarify this issue and exactly what sustainability and sustainable packaging means, and will continue to mean, for our industry.

[Harry Bradman]

You must have a time for gathering the data. Thank you as many appreciated it but let share something in order to implement them on a massive scale so that the ideas can flourish and more and more people get awareness.

Harry

http://www.abc-packaging.com/sections/Type_70.asp

[Jeb Archer]

What people dont realise is that green homes and buildings are not only worth more (resale value) but are creating more reveneu as well. Higher occupancy rates paired with higher rental premiums equals more money in VC's pockets.www.initred.com

[Uncle B]

Poor Yankee Doodle! Screwed by 1930's cotton lobbiest legislation again! Canada grows hemp for fiber and it grows on all that semi-arable wasteland and can be fertilized with sewage! It grows one, two, perhaps even three crops a year in a given field, and is totally machine harvested! The seeds produce bio-diesel, margarine, and can even be eaten by humans directly! The fiber can make car body panels, dishes, bowls, and any manner of pressed items! We also can relieve the pressure on the forests, by making paper from hemp fiber - a better stronger more recyclable paper! We can even make pesticide free cloth from hemp fiber, but don't remind the cotton industry or they come down on you hard! Canadian laboratories have a simple, cheap test for THC, just in case someone is breaking the law and growing that other stuff! They are a simple lab test away from arrest! Canadian laboratories are more than willing to send free estimates for testing, just in case Yankee Doodle can't do it himself, and would love the business opportunity too! No more excuses, no more forest rapes, no more plastic disposables, no more heavy paneling in your gas guzzlers, buy Canadian hemp! We need the business!

[CH.SAI KRISHNA]

HELLO...I NEED INFORMATION REGARDING THE BAGASSE HOW IT IS USEFUL IN THE CROP PRODUCTION.

[Sherrie]

This has been very informative. Thanks for posting it. I was wondering, if you happen to know of any other places that I can go to research packaging materials?

[Oceans Green]

Hi,

We ran across your website and i read it more interesting “Sustainable Packaging” in which involves increased use of life cycle inventory and lifecycle assessment to help guide the use of packaging which reduces the environmental impact and ecological impact. Thank you for some ideas you shared i learn a lot from it. We'll come back often.

Once again, thank you very much!

Regards,

Oceans Green

[Yankster]

"buy Canadian hemp! We need the business!"

Not really selling so well up there, eh?

[Qkarmark]

I have heard / read somewhere about plastic wood products.... but don't know the specifics... I'm willing to guess its a hybrid of resin and cellulose etc. Would love to see more info on this type of product.