Natural polymer revolution: Plant-based packaging surges amid evolving legislation and biotech advances

18 Sep 2024 --- Plant-based packaging is steadily keeping on its growth path across sectors, with new advances including biodegradable barrier coatings and packaging upcycled from “second harvest” materials. Industry experts predict that global demand for natural polymer packaging will increase rapidly due to impending legislation and innovation successes in plastic-free materials.

Xampla sees “incredible” demand for its plant polymer packaging solutions, which has picked up as the biodegradable materials specialist begins to speak more publicly about the range of commercially available products. 

“This interest is coming from a huge range of sectors, including FMCG, cosmetics and F&B companies as well as pure play paper packaging companies,” Xampla’s head of Business Development, Stanley Mitchell, tells Packaging Insights.

“Many brands are also looking to future-proof against impending legislation, such as the UN Global Plastics Treaty. With the negotiations set to conclude in November, spotlighting corporate plastic pollution, it is likely that natural polymer packaging will experience increased demand from all corners of the private sector.”

“Amid this shift, Xampla is leading the natural polymer revolution as the first choice for supply chain partners and has many exciting announcements on the way.”

Brands are looking to future-proof against impending legislation and move toward plant-based solutions (Image credit: Xampla).Innova Market Insights data indicates a 29% increase in plant-based packaging claims for F&B launches globally from July 2019 to June 2024. 

The leading category for these launches was Dairy, with 23% of launches from July 2023 to June 2024 but there is a steep increase in the use of plant-based packaging for other categories such as Confectionery, according to the market researcher. 

Scaling plant-based 

Xampla is scaling up to advance the production of our biodegradable plant materials and accelerate the entry of Morro materials into the market. 

“We have celebrated a series of industry wins over the past few months, as brands and major industry players increasingly look to truly plastic-free and biodegradable solutions from renewable sources,” says Mitchell.

In June, Xampla’s European manufacturing licensee, 2M Group of Companies, signed the first multi-year supply deal to supply Xampla’s plastic-free Morro Coating polymer to paper packaging specialist Huhtamaki. 

The partnership is seeing Morro Coating deployed on various Huhtamaki’s food-to-go takeaway boxes, replacing traditional plastic barrier coatings. 

“As an alternative to petrochemical-based or fluorochemical coatings, Morro Coating offers equivalent grease and water barrier properties. Morro Coating is entirely biodegradable at its end of life (whatever the waste stream) and contains no harmful ‘forever chemicals’ or plastics. Crucially, our coating is compatible with standard paper recycling and repulping processes.”

Beyond coating, Xampla’s “world-first” natural polymer technology for encapsulating nutrients is also making waves in the F&B industry.

“Xampla is collaborating with Asia’s largest dairy company, Yili, to develop nutritional microencapsulates in a range of Yili’s products,” notes Mitchell.

“This plant material microencapsulation system protects valuable active ingredients from production to digestion, guarding against degradation from UV, low pH and heat shock during pasteurization, while maintaining the taste and texture of the product.”

Furthermore, Xampla’s vitamin microencapsulates are also now widely available across Europe through its recent partnership (announced in August) with distributor Lehmann Ingredients. 

“In August, the supplier became the first distributor partner to offer Xampla’s nutrient microencapsulation technology, enabling FMCG brands and supply partners across the UK to deliver encapsulated nutrients for enteric release within food and drink products,” says Mitchell.DS explores how to use alternative fibers in the papermaking process (Image credit: DS Smith). 

Alternative fiber R&D

Earlier this year, DS Smith launched a new trial in partnership with environmental research start-up Nafici to create packaging from “second harvest” materials. 

According to DS Smith’s research team, second harvest materials like straw and brewers’ spent grain have the potential to save up to 10% of the virgin fibers used in the papermaking process and therefore present an important and viable means to supplement traditional sources.

Thomas Ferge, paper and board development director at DS Smith, now tells Packaging Insights that the company is exploring how to use alternative fibers in the papermaking process to bring different properties and benefits to the paper it makes. 

“All of this is done to help our plastic replacement operations, improve our resource efficiency and ensure the product’s recyclability in standard paper mills,” says Ferge.

“We’re partnering with start-ups to create packaging from a wide range of materials and are trialing the capabilities of several alternative fibers such as silphie, bagasse, hemp, cocoa shells and certain seaweed-based materials ourselves.”

“These innovations are still relatively in their infancy. However, as the research into these materials continues and they become readily available over time, we expect to see them in everyday packaging solutions, particularly in the FMCG sector,” he adds.

By Natalie Schwertheim