Vanguard uncovered: Eco-Products president on creating fiber packaging without PFAS or regrettable substitutes

17 Feb 2022 --- Fiber-based foodservice packaging suppliers face a daunting challenge: how to produce grease-resistance compostable plates and containers without using conventional chemistry formulations, specifically PFAS, or potentially harmful substitutes. 

One provider overcoming this challenge is Novolex brand Eco-Products, a provider of foodservice packaging made from renewable or recycled content. Eco-Products’ Vanguard packaging does not contain PFAS and avoids known regrettable substitutes. In this interview with PackagingInsights, Ian Jacobson, Eco-Products’ president, explains how this industry-first was achieved.

PFAS under fire
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly referred to as PFAS, are used to prevent oil and grease absorption and are approved for use in food packaging by the EU and US Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Despite their approved status, PFAS has come under criticism due to health and environmental concerns, with some sources calling them “forever chemicals.”

“When we began to better understand the growing debate around PFAS, finding an alternative became our top priority at Eco-Products,” says Jacobson. “We quickly discovered that alternatives were not readily available on the market. However, given our mission and focus on innovation, it was critical for us to be the first to bring a solution to the market and lead the way within the compostable packaging industry.”Ian Jacobson, president of Eco-Products.

In 2020, the FDA reached a voluntary agreement with US manufacturers to phase out the sale of certain PFAS compounds for use in food contact materials by 2024. While all Eco-Products items currently comply with EU and FDA standards, the manufacturer is committed to phasing out all PFAS compounds by 2023.

Vanguard to the rescue
After several years of development work and a significant amount of testing, Eco-Products’ product development team identified a viable proprietary replacement for PFAS. The result was the creation of Vanguard, a groundbreaking new line of compostable plates, bowls and containers made from sugarcane fiber.

“This first-of-its-kind product uses proprietary compounds to achieve grease- and water-resistance with no added PFAS. It was also the first molded fiber package to meet the requirements of the Biodegradable Products Institute’s compostability certification, which was updated in 2020,” continues Jacobson.

“During the development of Vanguard, we quickly learned about a term called ‘regrettable substitution,’ which is used to describe when one ingredient is removed only to be replaced by another that could also be problematic. This term became a refrain in our product development meetings, as we focused on ensuring that any substitution for PFAS did not require another chemical of high concern or known regrettable substitutes.”Vanguard includes compostable plates, bowls and containers made from sugarcane fiber.

“We determined that Eco-Products needed to go beyond its normal screening processes and gain a more holistic view of what is included in this alternative chemistry – a move we consider a game-changer in our industry.”

Third-party validation
Eco-Products relies on third-party certification to validate its product claims and needed a partner to evaluate its new formulation. It selected Scivera, a partner that could help it perform a comprehensive evaluation on this new proprietary chemistry.

“To start the process, our suppliers shared all added chemicals as well as any known impurities in their products. Using this information, we verified and checked all components used to make Vanguard against regulatory- and voluntary-restricted substance lists to make certain that none were cited on these lists,” explains Jacobson.Eco-Products was the first to earn the GreenScreen designation in the foodservice packaging category.

“Additionally, using the SciveraLENS RapidScreen tool, all chemicals and their sub-components were evaluated for 27 hazard endpoints.”

Eco-Products submitted Vanguard for review and earned GreenScreen Certified Silver using this data. This certification reviews every chemical used in the Vanguard formulation and attests that the product does not have known chemicals of high concern to human health and the environment.

Room for improvement
Eco-Products is the first manufacturer to earn the GreenScreen designation in the foodservice ware packaging category. The certification was awarded by Clean Production Action and the Center for Environmental Health, independent nonprofit organizations that review and certify products.

“We are proud that Vanguard does not contain PFAS and is GreenScreen Certified Silver to avoid known regrettable substitutes. As the title ‘silver’ implies, we can still do better, and our quest to improve our formulation continues. We will continue pushing the envelope to make sustained change, and we hope other companies and industries will follow,” concludes Jacobson.

By Joshua Poole

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