MakPak pioneers sustainable edible algae packaging

23 Sep 2020 --- Germany’s fast-food sector and academia have teamed up under the MakPak project to develop sustainable packaging solutions from marine macroalgae for the F&B sector. 

The project’s aim is to develop a sustainably produced, disposable and/or edible packaging solution as a dosage form for foodstuffs for both out-of-home consumption and foodservice applications.

“We successfully met the main goal of our project, which was to develop a 100 percent macroalgal-based edible and biodegradable packaging material for the food industry,” Laurie Hofmann, project representative, tells PackagingInsights. 

“The first prototype transformed the macroalgae raw material into stable packaging in the shape of a bowl.”

MakPak is led by the Germany-based Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), the Hochschule Bremerhaven university and the fast-food restaurant chain Nordsee. It is funded by the German Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL).

The packaging design is conceived and tested by Nordsee. AWI and the University of Applied Sciences Bremerhaven will identify and produce suitable raw materials and carry out the technical development of the packaging concept.

Naturally extending shelf life
Macroalgae is known for its antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.

The packaging solution consists exclusively of marine macroalgae raw materials.The raw material will be refined with extracts of selected macroalgae species containing bioactive compounds so that the packaging solution is not only standardized and sustainable, but also conveys an “additional health benefit” for the consumer. 

“The most significant challenge of innovating with algae is scaling-up production and maintaining high quality,” says Hofmann.

“Algae can be considered more functional than traditional packaging because it has characteristics that may benefit the packaged material. For example, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties that may help reduce spoiling and lengthen shelf life,” she adds.

The company declined to provide further details regarding how this packaging solution is produced and where it is sourced from.

“We are planning a follow-up project to scale-up algal production, to increase the functionality of the raw material (to enhance antioxidant activity) and identify and select certain algal strains that could optimize production (like fast-growing strains and temperature-tolerant strains),” details Hofmann.

Bio-based packaging
Bio-based packaging is making further strides in line with the ubiquitous sustainability drive. In relevant developments, GreenTek Packaging has rolled out a “first-in-kind” hemp-based disposable utensils line, Hemptensils. 

Also in this space, Impact Snacks’ ambition to package its superfoods snack bars in 100 percent biodegradable and compostable soy-based wrapping prompted 285 backers to pledge nearly US$33,000 in funding.

Meanwhile, innovators at Woodly developed a new type of plastic derived from softwood cellulose that mimics the functionalities of conventional fossil-based plastics, with targets of a 2021 roll out. 

With ambitions to establish a circular packaging economy, upcycled olive stone waste from Aimplas and sheep wool-based packaging from Woola are also seeing market potential.

Also in this arena, Hansen Packaging specializes in bio-composite resins and jars made from renewable resources including hemp. In Canada, the first nationwide cannabis packaging recycling program was rolled out by recycling experts TerraCycle and cannabis brand Tweed.

By Benjamin Ferrer