BIG FOOD BRANDS RESPOND TO COMPOSTABLE PACKAGING.
The woman to start with the eco-friendly movement, Plastic Free July, Rebecca Prince-Ruiz has progressed with her program a long way. Beginning in 2011, nearly 40 people went forward to go plastic-free one month a year. And that pledge and initiative gained up to 326 million people to adopt the practice today.
Ms Prince-Ruiz is based in Perth, Australia and is the author of Plastic Free: The Inspiring Story of a Global Environmental Movement and Why It Matters. She has showcased the heartfelt gratitude of seeing the rise in the interest of people every year.
She further stated that in the current day scenario, people have understood what they have been doing with their lives. They are also looking forward to an opportunity to go less wasteful.
Since 2000, the plastic industry has manufactured a bulk amount of plastic with passing years. As per the report stated in World Wildlife Fund Report 2019, virgin plastic production increased 200-fold since 1950. The growth rate has been increased to 4% since 2000.
This has further helped companies to switch to biodegradable and compostable packaging that is specifically curated to reduce all the carbon and toxic footprint.
Mars Wrigley (a multinational company for the manufacturer of food products and animal care services) and Danimer Scientific (a biopolymer manufacturer ) did announce a two-year partnership in March 2021. The idea is the development of compostable packaging for Skittles in the US. And this is going to hit the market by early 2022.
What are the things involved?
The addition of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) gives it a look and charismatic charm as that of plastic. But the real catch is here. It is easily compostable where it can break down, anywhere right within 180 days.
On the other hand, Danimer Scientific's polymer is curated through canola oil. It has the same functionality as that of wood. In simpler words, it breaks down when bacteria are in direct touch with it. The chief executive of Danimer Scientific stated that PHA tends to go away naturally as it is a strong material for all forms of products.
Mars Wigley, Vice-President for Global Sustainability visioned to support a circular economy. The packaging will never become a waste. By 2025, the mission is to reduce the use of virgin plastic by 25%. Nearly 100% of the brand's packaging solution will be reusable, recyclable or compostable.
Though eco friendly packaging is a little costly, that has not stopped brands like California-based Mango Materials and London-based Polymateria from switching to green packaging. The products that they use are biodegradable over a shorter period.
The plastics industry should come up with an alternative form of packaging. Businesses all over the world are adopting a new form of customized eco packaging solution. Despite the cost, people are looking forward to taking small steps at a time for a greener solution.
