As food and drink manufacturers continue to find new uses for bioplastics in their packaging, processor attitudes to innovation remain just as important as cost efficiency in regards to challenges facing the sector, says one industry group.
Switching Easter egg packaging to a biodegradable plastic made from corn starch could save enough energy to power 350,000 homes, claims a developer of a corn-based plastic.
An industry initiative to reduce seasonal confectionery packaging waste has gathered pace with many manufacturers embracing biodegradable packaging and reducing package volume.
BASF is planning to significantly step up production of its
biodegradable plastic materials amidst growing demand from various
industries including packagers.
US firm Metabolix is constructing a new $200m bioplastics factory
in Iowa, with commercial production of the packaging material
expected to begin in 2008.
Corn is the operative word in packaging today, with more and more
processors turning to biodegradable materials made from the crop
and other plants for packing their food products.
