PulPac targets airlines and foodservice in deSter dry molded fiber technology partnership

15 Feb 2021 --- PulPac is entering a strategic partnership with gategroup company deSter to develop and manufacture fiber-based, single-use food packaging for the airline and foodservice industries.

PulPac is a Swedish R&D company famed for its patented, naturally-compostable Dry Molded Fiber technology, industrialized last year.

The 3D-molding of dry cellulose is recognized as a fast and cost-effective process, not requiring water like traditional wet molding methods used to create sugarcane solutions.

Moreover, dry cellulose can replace almost any type of packaging and disposable item made of plastic.

“The foodservice and aviation industries need to reduce their environmental footprint and not least, the vast amount of single-use plastics generated from airplane meals,” Linus Larsson, PulPac CEO, tells PackagingInsights.

“To shift to truly sustainable fiber products is a step in the right direction and an area where Dry Molded Fiber is well suited and can make a big difference.”

Larsson explains deSter’s knowledge in designing and manufacturing food packaging combined with PulPac’s fiber-based expertise creates a perfect match for mass production.

Meanwhile, deSter’s global manufacturing footprint allows for the implementation of Dry molded Fiber technology worldwide, including manufacturing facilities in Europe, Asia and the US.

Multi-million-Euro investment
The new partnership covers airline industry equipment and selected foodservice accounts. 

Toward this end, deSter is currently deploying a multi-million-Euro investment in new machinery, bringing Dry Molded Fiber production within close reach of its customers and minimizing transportation and associated carbon footprint.PulPac’s packaging is recyclable and biodegradable under natural conditions.

“Overall, this technology allows us to replace most single-use plastic products,” a deSter spokesperson tells PackagingInsights.

“Bowls, lids and dishes will be first in use. As a second step, we will introduce ovenable solutions and even cutlery.”

“For foodservice, we will focus on products such as salad bowls, meal trays and cutlery. And this is just the start of the technology’s possibilities.”

The innovative nature of the sustainable technology convinced the Flemish Government to award deSter a major development grant.

The company’s PulPac solutions will be made from renewable, locally-sourced Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified materials.

Items produced using PulPac’s method can be recycled through normal recycling streams and are biodegradable under natural conditions without the need for commercial composting.

Consumers driving circularity
The deSter spokesperson sees the EU Plastics Tax and upcoming Single Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) as important drivers in the transition from single-use plastics to fiber-based alternatives. However, most importantly, consumer environmental awareness is also increasing.

“Consumers demand truly sustainable packaging solutions, locally-sourced and produced with the lowest possible environmental impact, like minimized water usage – benefits the PulPac technology offers.”

“Secondly, deSter’s product innovation strategy is built around moving toward a circular economy.”

“We have signed the Global Commitment of the United Nations Global Tourism Plastic Pact with the support of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, pledging that our entire plastic packaging portfolio fits into the circular economy by 2025.”

The company aims to achieve this by developing packaging for circulation in closed loops through reuse, recycling or composting.

Environmental and economic sustainability
Moreover, PulPac’s technology coincides with deSter’s Environmentally Conscious Design (ECD) design philosophy. ECD encompasses all the company’s actions toward developing sustainable products in line with the circular economy principle.

Dry cellulose can manufacture almost any type of packaging and disposable item made of plastic.“The EU has close to 60,000 companies in the plastic industry, most of them SMEs,” continues Larsson.

“In 2018, they generated a turnover of more than €360 billion (US$437 billion). It is a huge market that needs to make a sustainable shift without really having a truly circular and competitive alternative.”

“Finding a sustainable replacement to single-use plastics that don’t erode margins is pretty much on everyone’s agenda. We experience this clearly in the ever-increasing demand for our technology.”

On the horizon
PulPac is working to secure further partnerships and customers to produce Dry Molded Fiber products, Larsson says.

“Recently, we have put a lot of effort into developing ways of facilitating the transition to Dry Molded Fiber for our customers.”

“That initiative will be presented during the spring and enable a further acceleration of Dry Molded Fiber products on the market,” he concludes.

By Joshua Poole