The big brands are trying to reduce their plastic waste by incorporating plastic-free packaging materials. Recently, an Israeli food-tech startup, W-Cycle, has developed SupraPulp, a plastic-free packaging material that is made of sugarcane waste.
SupraPulp is entirely compostable, safe, and capable enough to be used for greasy, wet or hot food. Moreover, packaged food with SupraPulp can be frozen and heated with either an oven, convection oven, steam cooker or microwave.
This packaging material is patented, field-tested, and an ideal replacement for plastic, aluminum, or foam containers. It is made from 100 percent renewable sugarcane fibers, called bagasse – the dry, pulpy fibrous matter, which remains after sugarcane or sorghum stalks are crushed to extract their juice.
Image: W-Cycle
SupraPulp is compostable, non-coated, toxin and metal-free. This packaging material has exceptional features compared to typical bagasse containers that make them the perfect alternative to plastic trays for food products, especially fresh, frozen, or prepared consumer packaged meals.
These plastic-free containers are oil- and water-resistant and avoid any absorption or leakage. SupraPulp, just like CPET, is perfect for ready meals as it is appropriate for freezer-to-oven/microwave suitability. Fresh meat, poultry & seafood are also commonly packed in plastic (PE, PET, Styrofoam) due to their juice runoff, therefore, SupraPulp is a great alternative for the plastic packaging as it will not absorb them, leak or soften.
Lior Itai, CEO and co-founder of W-Cycle, said,
Dispose SupraPulp packages the same way as you would your salad. This food-grade, compostable packaging is a one-to-one replacement for its plastic counterpart. There are other compostable solutions on the market, but SupraPulp has game-changing functionality consumers need when they want to heat, freeze, or microwave convenience food products.
Other environmentally-friendly packaging solutions such as bioplastic, are made from the whole plant need to be specially grown, harvested, and processed. SupraPulp is made from the waste upcycled from sugarcane, or similar crops such as wheat, bananas, etc., making it a more sustainable and eco-conscious choice.