Californian sugarcane packers tackle pandemic foodservice waste

07 Aug 2020 --- The COVID-19 pandemic has ignited an upsurge in take-out delivery orders, and consequently, single-use plastic container waste. Particularly polystyrene – the material used to make Styrofoam – is experiencing a renewed demand due to the pandemic. Aiming to cut back on harmful throwaway materials, Harvest Pack has stepped up to provide 575 US restaurants and foodservice distributors with customizable, compostable packaging made with 100 percent upcycled sugarcane fiber. This way, Harvest Pack ensures a closed-loop solution that maintains the convenience and food safety of take-out orders, which are “essential to keeping the industry afloat.”

Harvest Pack’s products are “double eco-friendly,” Alex Pou, Co-Founder and President of Sales, tells PackagingInsights. The packaging materials are made from 100 percent plant fibers, mainly sugarcane, which are compostable or biodegradable in some states. “The sugarcane fibers are the leftover fiber from the sugar-making process. If these materials were not used for creating these products, they would have been discarded or burned,” Pou explains.

After use, the containers are certified as commercially compostable within 180 days. “However, many of our customers have put these in the compost and tell us they are fully composted after only a few months,” he adds.

The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred demand for Harvest Pack’s 32-oz fiber bowls and fiber-hinge containers.Amid the pandemic, Harvest Pack has witnessed the highest demand for its 32-oz fiber bowls and fiber-hinge containers. Pou adds that the supplier’s plastic containers and water bottle are made from fully recyclable PET.

Since the spring peak of coronavirus-induced lockdown measures and isolation requirements in Los Angeles, where Harvest Pack is based, much of the initial demand has dropped off. “We had to shift directions during COVID-19 to keep our business running and added some poly(p-phenylene oxide) (PPE) products for our restaurant customers,” Pou notes.

Meanwhile, the company expects growth post-COVID-19 and is currently working on a few customized designs for restaurant chains.

“A fashion company, not for humans but for food”
The outside of the containers matters just as much as the insides, according to Harvest Pack, especially during a time when food delivery companies have limited opportunities for face-to-face communication with customers. Uncompromisable, food safety remains a high priority.

“For our larger clients, we offer custom design and logo embossed on the containers. We can also use non-toxic, food-grade soy-based colors to print on the non-food contact side of the container. We tend to shy away from labels and we prefer embossing as it creates less of an environmental footprint,” Pou underscores.

E-commerce has seen an unprecedented surge during the pandemic, as noted by Innova Market Insights’ top third packaging trend for 2020, “Packing an e-Punch.” In this digital space, packaging design plays a key role in the “wow-factor” unboxing experience to enhance brand-consumer relationships.

The containers are made from 100 percent pre-consumer by-products that would otherwise go to waste.When asked whether this trend also transfers to the take-out food packaging sector, Pou responds: “We totally agree. We also believe in the functionality of food packaging. We want to create something that is good looking and easy to use. Especially given the high demand for delivery, we want to give the consumer the most authentic experience, which is as close to a dine-in experience as possible when ordering take-out.”

Who makes use of Harvest Pack?
A recent example of Harvest Pack’s customers includes Chowbotics, a robot station for fresh food pick-up. “With the onset of COVID-19, we searched for a wrapped bowl solution that would address new food safety challenges, while still limiting our customers’ environmental footprint. We’re thrilled with the compostable solution provided by Harvest Pack. Its ingenuity is helping us navigate new challenges brought on by the pandemic,” a Chowbotics spokesperson states.

Other Harvest Pack clients include LA-area Erewhon Supermarkets; The Paper Company, a division of Imperial Dade; and nearly 500 restaurants and foodservice distributors nationwide. “Most of our customers are located in California, but we have been focusing on the California market for the past seven years. We are always reaching out to gain more customers throughout the US,” continues Pou.

“As consumers ourselves, we really do appreciate the restaurants that have higher quality to-go containers that are pleasant on the eyes, and also which keep my food in place and in the best condition. I often revisit those restaurants simply due to these factors and that is one of the big motivators behind what we do at Harvest Pack,” he concludes.

By Anni Schleicher

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