Grounded Packaging launches carbon-negative packaging

Grounded Packaging launches carbon-negative, sugarcane-based packaging for the food industry that ‘works exactly like plastic’

Foods that could only be sold or stored in plastic now have a first-of-its-kind sustainable alternative in the form of high-barrier material, BioPE

Sydney, Australia – 16th April 2021 – Grounded, an end-to-end packaging specialist working with the world’s most innovative and sustainable materials, has launched a recyclable and carbon-negative sugarcane packaging that offers food manufacturers the same functionality as plastic.

The first-to-market, high-barrier material holds food and liquid that previously relied on plastic packaging. To date, sustainable alternatives, including compostables, have not provided the level of functionality required for wet and oily items, as well as dry or preserved goods, such as coffee. Food manufacturers have long been trying to move away from virgin plastic bags and pouches, that contribute a significant amount to landfill, with limited success.

Known as BioPE, the sugarcane-based material uses up to 80% less fossil fuels to manufacture than traditional plastic and is only 1.5x more expensive. A far cry from compostable materials that typically carry a price premium of 3x standard plastics. In addition to being carbon-negative, it uses non-toxic inks and can be recycled in both dedicated PE recycling and general soft plastic streams. The launch of the new material will support food industries in moving towards a ‘circular’ model; where their packaging is reusable, recyclable, recycled, or compostable.

Ben Grant, co-founder of Grounded Packaging, said, “Grounded was born out of the experience of failed sustainable packaging processes in the food industry. Packaging is vital in preventing wastage and prolonging shelf life, but plastic has cultivated a ‘take, make, dispose’ model that the industry has been stuck with for a long time. And when there are no viable alternatives, businesses have no choice but to keep packaging their goods in plastic.

“From day one our mission has been to reduce plastics and virgin materials within the packaging industry, providing greater transparency and better alternatives for our customers. Creating a highly-functional sugarcane packaging for the unique needs of the food industry means doing the right thing has just become possible for thousands of manufacturers,” added Grant.

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