Farm Produced Ultrathin Lightweight Packaging
Lead Research Organisation:
Bangor University
Department Name: Biocomposites Centre
Abstract
This applied research project builds on basic research by Valueform Ltd at the BioComposites Centre at BangorUniversity on 'Innovative processing of local agri-fibres'. This project will i) produce novel biocomposite food packaging using plant-based materials; cereal/ oilseed straws/ and others agri-residues, optimising process variables to obtain ultrathin materials ii) confirm use of Innovative farm-based technologies to convert these materials into retail food packages, at costs competitive with concurent non-renewable products. Preliminary investigations show that these biocomposites are more resource efficient than plastics, biopolymers & starch-based alternatives currently available on the market. The packaging products will be biodegradable /compostable & post-use for making medical disposable products such as kidney trays, urinals delivering a very efficient life cycle and also leading to reduction in landfill.
Organisations
Publications
Curling S
(2017)
Feasibility of using straw in a strong, thin, pulp moulded packaging material
in Industrial Crops and Products
| Description | This research has led to the development of a new range of fibre based pulp moulded packaging products for use in pizza packaging. |
| Exploitation Route | This has resulted in the development of other fibre based packaging by supermarkets such as Waitrose. It has also helped to underpin SafeBioPack project |
| Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Healthcare |
| URL | http://valueform.biz/ |
| Description | In 2008 the company secured TSB funding for a collaborative project lead by Bangor University to undertake a 3 year study into the development of novel food packaging utilising waste straw from the Co-op's farms. The total value of the project was £1.2M. As a result of this research a prototype environmentally pizza disc was developed to replace polystyrene discs. The size of the current UK market for chilled pizza bases is approximately 200 million units per year. These new fibre based products: 1) Satisfied strength, flexibility, thickness, water resistance and food contact requirements; 2) Are biodegradable and home compostable; 3) Have improved Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) compared to expanded polystyrene (EPS); 4) Are commercially viable. The prototype has undergone food safety assessment and customer preference surveys and has been trialled by a large scale industrial user with favourable results. Currently the product is in commercial development with the UKs largest manufacturer of chilled pizza products with a 35% share of the UK market. The development of a packaging product based on agri-fibres will bring additional benefits to the agricultural sector by helping to diversify production and safeguarding jobs. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2014 |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink |
| Impact Types | Societal,Economic |