Staying ahead of the technology curve means strengthening your competitive advantage. That is why we give you data-driven innovation insights into the packaging industry. This time, you get to discover 5 hand-picked startups developing biodegradable food packaging solutions.
Out of 365, the Global Startup Heat Map highlights 5 Top Biodegradable Food Packaging Solutions
The insights of this data-driven analysis are derived from the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering 2 093 000+ startups & scaleups globally. The platform gives you an exhaustive overview of emerging technologies & relevant startups within a specific field in just a few clicks.
The Global Startup Heat Map below reveals the distribution of the 365 exemplary startups & scaleups we analyzed for this research. Further, it highlights 5 packaging startups that we hand-picked based on criteria such as founding year, location, funding raised, and more. You get to explore the solutions of these 5 startups & scaleups in this report. For insights on the other 360 biodegradable food packaging solutions, get in touch.
Agropak manufactures Eco-Friendly Food Packaging
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the most widely used packaging material for food items due to its flexibility, transparency, and strength. However, PET plastics are highly damaging to the environment since they need hundreds of years to break down naturally. Although efforts are being made to recycle PET plastics, over half of the total quantity is not recycled due to limited recycling capabilities and capacities. This is why startups are creating biodegradable packages that are easy to recycle.
Indian startup Agropak offers a range of biodegradable packaging products for the food industry. The startup’s sustainable and disposable food packages are made from plants and are chemical-free. In addition, they are heat resistant, microwave safe, and water-resistant. This provides an economical and eco-friendly replacement to conventional single-use plastics for food and beverage packaging.
Honopu provides Plastic-Free Beverage Containers
Millions of plastic bottles and cups are manufactured and disposed of every year for packaging beverages – a leading source of global plastic pollution. In addition, most beverage cups are damaging to the environment as they are not recyclable due to the plastic coatings within them. Due to this, a high percentage of beverage containers end up in landfills over recycling plants. To overcome this issue, startups produce beverage containers that do not use plastic but offer similar characteristics.
German startup Honopu develops plastic-free beverage containers. The startup creates biodegradable containers using recycled wood, natural rubber, and glass. These products include drinking bottles, coffee-to-go mugs, baby bottles, and glasses. Honopu uses a cradle-to-cradle approach to reduce plastic pollution caused by food and beverage manufacturers, food stores, restaurants, supermarkets, coffee shops, and cafes.
BH Packaging Supplies offers Sustainable Takeaway Packaging
The COVID-19 pandemic created a sharp rise in the use of takeaway packaging since governments started imposing strict regulations on in-restaurant dining. Clamshell packaging, mainly used for takeaway food, is a type of plastic container that is very difficult to recycle. This is caused by challenges for facilities to sort them because machines often misclassify them as paper, as well as due to the attached printing like labels and tags. To mitigate these issues, startups are creating plastic-free takeaways containers.
BH Packaging Supplies is a Malaysian startup that produces a wide range of environmentally friendly food packaging products. The startup’s sustainable takeaway packaging utilizes naturally compostable sugarcane fibers which are non-toxic as well as water and oil resistant. Its containers are specifically designed to reduce the amount of plastic waste generated by the takeaway food industry.
Zume develops Molded Fiber Packaging
Single-use food packaging like styrofoam food containers and disposable coffee cups are significant contributors to global waste. Besides, demand for single-use plastic for food packaging is increasing with consumer demand which only adds to the problems of waste management and disposal. To reduce the environmental impact of plastic-based packaging, startups are providing sustainable materials to create environmentally friendly food packaging.
US-based startup Zume manufactures fiber-based food packages to replace plastic and styrofoam single-serve packaging. The startup’s production process is fiber agnostic, fully automated to maximize yield, and has near-zero draft angles to maximize performance. It works with brands, manufacturers, and distributors in the food and packaging industries to assist them in adopting a sustainable circular packaging economy.
Dissolves offers Dissolvable Drink Packaging
A large source of waste from the beverage industry comes from coffee pods and containers that hold powder mixes to make beverages. As the consumption of beverages increases, so does the amount of packaging waste generated. Although sustainable packaging solutions solve these problems, their high costs and the trade-off of convenience for sustainability reduces consumer acceptance. To mitigate this issue, startups are developing beverage mix packaging that is dissolvable and edible, resulting in zero waste.
Dissolves is a US-based startup that creates alternative sustainable packaging for beverage mixes. The startup’s dissolvable packaging material is made from plant-based natural ingredients and does not contain polyvinyl alcohol like other edible food packages. This allows beverage manufacturers to reduce waste, remove petroleum from their products, and provide consumers with sustainable and convenient packages.
Discover more Packaging Startups
Packaging startups such as the examples highlighted in this report focus on plastic-free packaging, bio-based packaging materials, and edible packaging. While all of these technologies play a major role in advancing the packaging industry, they only represent the tip of the iceberg. To explore more packaging technologies, simply get in touch to let us look into your areas of interest. For a more general overview, you can download our free Packaging Innovation Report to save your time and improve strategic decision-making.
