Keeping tabs on sustainable packaging

Packaging material consisting of agricultural crop waste, plastic derived from sugarcane...it seems like packaging sustainability articles are growing by the day.

I recently came across a sustainable packaging story, which despite the company's claim that the product contains hardly any plastic content, will still interest our readers. After all, it's always good to know about new packaging technologies and products.   

Anyways, packaging company Sealed Air has launched PakNatural, a "packing peanut" product that is made with 95% of non-food based renewable materials.

95%? Naturally (pun intended), I was curious about this - so I talked with Bill Gray, a member of Sealed Air's marketing team, to find out more.

He told me the PakNatural loose fill product provides cushioning protection equal to EPS without the static cling. Gray went on to say PakNatural produces less dust, offers improved anti-static performance and increased inherent strength in comparison to similar products and starch-based loose fill products on the market.

PakNatural marks Sealed Air's first venture in the loose fill packaging market. The company stated it didn't offer loose fill packaging previously because the environmental and performance positioning did not fit with its vision.

While he wouldn't give me much detail about what non-food based renewable material substance is used to make PakNautral, he did compare it to a "seed-like material" that can be expanded just like loose fill.

According to Gray, the product is well received.

"It's very competitive from a cost standpoint, and while it is the early days for us, we have found a lot of acceptance for the product," he said. "It fits in very nicely with Sealed Air's sustainability goals."

It does seem sustainable packaging is experiencing some real momentum.  In particular, bioplastics, which is estimated to reach revenues of more than $2.8 billion in 2018, with annual growth rates of 17.8%, according to a new report from market research firm Ceresana Research.

Although bags and sacks, as well as loose fill, are expected to register further growth over the next years, packaging and films as well as automotive and electronics will see the biggest gain, the report stated.

If the study remains on track, it makes you wonder if bioplastics and sustainability is now becoming mainstream for the packaging industry rather than just an alternative option.

Now it's your turn. Do you think more products like PakNatural will come to market? How could that affect your business? Are you seeing more demand from customers for bio-based processes and products?