Edible food package, one step closer to the future

Admin
Oct 16, 2017
2 min read

Around 8.3 billion metric tons of plastics were created since the large-scale production of synthetic materials began in the early 1950s, with most of it now residing in landfills or the natural environment.

Seeking a solution, some companies are putting their money into the future, experimenting with packaging made from edible (though not necessarily appetizing) materials that offer more sustainable options.

Let's look at few examples of such companies offering new ways of packaging.

US design firm Ecovative wants companies to move away from plastic foams like expanded polystyrene (a.k.a. Styrofoam) by switching to its earth-friendly alternative, MycoFoam, which is made from mycelium fungus and can be molded into a variety of shapes. The protective mushroom-based packaging is already used by companies like Dell and Stanhope Seta, and Ecovative is also developing mushroom-based insulation, acoustics, core materials, and aquatic products like surfboards. The company also offers a GIY (grow-it-yourself) program for people to create their own projects and products with its raw material.

Saltwater Brewery in Delray Beach, Florida wants to help combat this crisis with its edible six-pack rings, which are derived from barley and wheat remnants from the brewing process. The edible rings are completely biodegradable and the company plans to use them on all 400,000 cans of beer it produces each month.

Not only does plastic wrapping creates non-biodegradable waste, but thin plastic films are not great at preventing food spoilage. To create a better solution, scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture are developing an environmentally friendly film made of the milk protein casein. These casein-based films are up to 500 times better than the plastics at keeping oxygen away from food, and because they are derived from milk, they are biodegradable and edible. The milk-based packaging also has smaller pores and thus is better at preventing food spoilage.

Just few examples (many more in the world) show that companies turn their attention to their packaging as well as to their products. After all, our decision to buy responsibly was always affected by the next step of disposing the package or recycling.