Biodegradable, sustainable food packaging.

In big news for the food packaging industry, world-leading agricultural waste fibre technology company, Papyrus Australia is pleased to announce it has developed technology to produce biodegradable, sustainable moulded food packaging using refined banana fibre.

In recent months, Papyrus has successfully completed a series of trials using its factory-produced refined banana fibre to produce commercial quantities of biodegradable moulded food packaging products.

These successful trials are a major milestone for the Company, and the food packaging industry more broadly, as they:

• prove banana fibre is a viable alternative to plastic and wood pulp in moulded food packaging products
• are the first time in the world refined banana fibre has been used on standard moulding machines
• demonstrate the commercial value of the Company’s patented process of producing mechanically refined banana fibre
• represent significant IP gains on how to prepare banana fibre for moulding and how to set up moulding lines to successfully mould refined banana fibre

Environmental Benefits

Papyrus Australia’s sustainable technology converts plantation waste from banana and plantain crops into fibre which can be used to replace wood and plastic based materials in food packaging.

A biproduct of banana and plantain farming, leaves, stalks and trunks are an abundant waste product globally, with an estimated world-wide production of 2.5 billion tonnes per year.

Food packaging made of banana fibre is biodegradable, meaning that it will decompose in landfill. Its production is a chemical-free process that utilises a product which would otherwise have gone to waste. Not only does this reduce the creation of methane, but it also creates products that are sustainable alternatives to plastic, forest wood and chemicals.

Papyrus Australia’s business is about sustainability and the promotion of a circular economy, whereby it creates a valuable product from waste materials that would otherwise negatively contribute to climate change and the deteriorating environment.

Papyrus’ patented technology is starting to make waves and that’s exciting for the industry and for our environment. With each banana tree producing just one bunch of bananas before it gets cut down, the potential environmental benefits of this pioneering technology are immense.

What’s Next?

Papyrus’ Australia will partner with organisations in major growing regions around the world to roll out the technology. Partnership opportunities range from agri waste supply agreements to joint venture banana fibre and/or moulded packaging product processing plants.