KFC and Tria aim to close the loop for fast food packaging with alternative compostable material

15 Aug 2022 --- Fast food giant KFC Singapore and packaging specialist Tria are collaborating on switching out the chain restaurant’s single-use plastic containers for environmentally sustainable, compostable packaging in an effort to combat the plastic waste crisis in Singapore.

Fast food establishments produce a lot of packaging waste. However, given the absence of effective, long-term alternatives to single-use plastic and the industry’s focus on price and convenience, inexpensive, disposable food ware will continue to be available.

KFC Singapore and Singapore-based Tria aim to reinvent the fast food packaging industry with what they call the “world’s first” closed-loop single-use packaging pilot project.

Considering Innova Market Insights’ finding that  28% of global consumers are willing to sacrifice product protection and functionality for a more environmentally sustainable packaging design, KFC Singapore was attracted to Tria’s solution.

KFC Singapore stated that cost-competitiveness, design flexibility and operational resilience were some of the key considerations that drew them to the packaging specialist’s solution during the pilot launch ceremony at Shanaya Environmental Services on June 21.

The process
One KFC restaurant in Singapore will replace its non-recyclable boxes, cups and cutlery with Neutria, a quickly degrading plant-based polyester created by Tria, as part of a six-month pilot. Tria will collect the old material and compost it with their patented Bio24 digester. The conversion takes 24 hours.

In Singapore, conventional plastic recycling suffers various difficulties. Despite the fact that the food packaging is theoretically recyclable, sorting and cleaning it might end up costing five times as much as creating brand-new packaging from the start which means that the majority of the nation’s plastic is burned.

Plastic waste is only anticipated to rise because there is no incentive to recycle or cut back on plastic usage. Plastic recycling rates have been incredibly low since 2017, typically ranging between 4% and 6%.

Tria will collect the old material and compost it with their patented Bio24 digester, which takes 24 hours.A long-awaited shift
Lynette Lee, general manager of KFC Singapore says that the fast food company has been looking for new ways to reduce its use of non-recyclable packaging since 2017.

“We’ve previously considered edible spoons, but they could not meet our cost or operational requirements. However, Tria was open to extensive redesigns and testing to ensure their product could withstand our daily operating needs and be collected and processed at an acceptable price point.”

The R&D designers at Tria had a particularly challenging time redesigning KFC’s mashed potato and coleslaw cup, Lee says. The cup, made from the business’ plant-based substance, has to resist heat and moisture while retaining its structural integrity when stacked. 

No compromising
Tria asserts that its product can maintain a reasonable level of cost competitiveness without sacrificing sustainability. However, to increase the acceptance of this type of packaging, sustainable food-ware firms, according to Tria’s chief executive Ng Pei Kang, must prioritize their F&B partners’ operational demands above all else.

Ng elaborates and says: “It’s great that we are experimenting with [sustainable food-ware like reusable cups], but we also need to empathize more with the food brands. How can KFC Singapore extend this without changing their operations?”

He says that with Tria’s model, these fast food chains don’t need to hire more people or get new trash bins. “If it’s not business as usual, it would be very tough [for restaurants to accept these new packaging products].”

Compost cooperations
Allegedly, 200 to 300 kg of compost may be created for every metric ton of Neutria and food waste put into the digester, according to Tria.

The firm has inked memorandums of understanding with the Norwegian chemical and fertilizer company Yara International and the local rooftop farming company Comcrop, despite not yet having an offtake agreement for its compost. Ng also emphasized how Tria’s goods and services may aid these businesses in achieving their objectives more profitably and sustainably.

Ng explains that “Yara is looking to expand their regional presence here, and they are interested in our product because it could be a low-carbon source of fertilizer. In Europe, they have access to hydroponic power, which allows them to profitably produce low-carbon, green fertilizer. However, shipping this fertilizer to Asia is not realistic. That’s where we come in.”

Practical limits200 to 300 kg of compost may be created for every metric ton of Neutria and food waste put into the digester.
In addition to lowering expenses, the closed-loop technology makes it possible to track the fertilizer, giving potential customers more assurance.

Tria’s technology does have certain limitations, though. The success of the composting system depends on Tria’s capacity to handle and recycle its post-consumer waste. 

By enacting an extended producer responsibility (EPR) rule for packaging by 2025, Singapore hopes to cut back on both public spending and landfill trash. However, attaining EPR has its challenges, as professor Seeram Ramakrishna, a mechanical engineering professor and the head of the National University of Singapore’s Circular Economy Taskforce, noted.

Ramakrishna elaborated on this potential drawback by saying that “for EPR to work effectively, the presence of good waste management systems must be in place, including infrastructure to reprocess the waste. There should be a high level of compliance and enforcement.”

Ng acknowledged that a method for controlling takeout trash is still elusive for the time being, despite his confidence in Tria’s ability to handle KFC Singapore's in-store waste.

“Takeaway waste will still be sent to the public waste management system. However, the majority of packaging is used for dine-in purposes and that’s where we are able to help,” Ng concludes.

By Mieke Meintjes