COPAR’s wheat straw alternative packaging options promise better composting and recyclable capabilities, along with rapid renewability.
COPAR’s continuing partnership with the University of Newcastle continues to reap benefits as an Australian compostable certification centre is closer to becoming a reality.
Currently certification for compostable packaging is achieved overseas, and the alternative packaging is imported into Australia, which presents some problems.
Dr Thava Palanisami, Associate Professor, Environmental Plastics Innovation Cluster, Global Innovative Centre for Advanced materials(GICAN) at the University of Newcastle, said the overseas certification presented issues around the composition of the packaging product.
“The University of Newcastle has been working with the InnovationClub on developing compostable plastics,” he said.
“In this area there is no Australian made product, we have been importing, which produces a problem because you are unable to control the chemistry of the product.
“The product can contain any chemicals, coating for example, and that introduces waste management and toxicity issues.”
Which ultimately puts the compostable and recyclable aspects of the packaging products at risk.
“While discussing these issues InnovationClub came back and we proposed an innovation lab for design and testing within Australia, which is needed to be certified internationally,” said Palanisami.
“While developing products today you need to test the product to see if it meets market demand and for that you need a lab that supports the innovation.”
As a result of this the InnovationClub provided funding, along with funding from the Commonwealth.
“It is a mutual benefit for all involved. We have come a long way in the last few years,” said Palanisami.
Palanisami said the introduction of Australian made and certified alternative packaging, like COPAR’s Wheat Straw packaging, would also have a huge positive impact on an already struggling waste management system within Australia.
“If you talk about Sydney, we are struggling with picking up food waste. Compost like these products reduces the product volume. It is a massive benefit for big cities,” he said.
An onshore testing and certification facility would also mitigate the risks associated with overseas development, testing, and certification.
“It’s very important, without this facility you would be making product with a theoretical background about its composting ability,” said Palanisami.
“By the time you have spent all that money and bought the machine a simple coating can spoil your product and even if you have natural coating you need to know what the standards are to achieve certification.
“And regulations change regularly so you can’t rely on one certification and bring the product to the market, it must be a process from the start which we can do at the lab, from raw material to the end product.”
Colin Farrell, business development manager at COPAR, praised the partnership with the University of Newcastle for helping push forward to introduction of wheat straw packaging to the Australian market.
“The relationship we have with the University of Newcastle is really starting to bear fruit,” he said.
“The big thing for us is end of life and how we manage that process with all packaged goods, and it makes it easier. We have industrial and home composting to think about.
“What the university will do is ensure our products are certified compostable, that will help us.”
Currently the University of Newcastle and COPAR are looking at ways of accelerating the already fast composting of their wheat straw product.
“We want to make sure they break down into natural compost,” said Farrell.
“For example, rapid thermophilic composting machines is a new technology that breaks down our wheat straw products to soil within 24 hours.
“If it is home composting it can compost at home and it takes a short amount of time, it will be gone in about a week because it is wheat straw, depending upon how it is composted.”
The product will also prove to be a big benefit to the food service industry.
In terms of helping ease the burden on waste collection, especially in major metro centres, at home composting is key.
“If you look at Sydney recycling, most councils have only two bins so there isn’t something in place just for compostable in all areas,” said Farrell.
“We have a product that can be recyclable in a paper stream and compostable. If you get excessive food waste on it, it’s not recyclable but it’s compostable.
“There’s a lot of variations to recycling and our goal is to make those things easier for consumers and the industry.”
The composting aspects of COPAR’s wheat straw alternative packaging is an area where the company wants to increase its education of the market and consumers.
“We have a partnership with Sustainability for Kids. They are working with us to focus on composting, and we are creating a character called Compost Ben, which is focused on what is composting, how it is done at home, and how it is done with COPAR products,” said Fathima Sameer, marketing, branding and communications specialist at COPAR.
“It’s designed for kids and adults can also understand it easily. We will have modules, webinars, or even seminars, to educate consumers.
“In terms of consumers we can have modules online for them to download, which will inform them about our objectives and ongoing efforts”
A huge benefit of the wheat straw pulp used to make product packaging, is its capability of being used as a fertiliser.
“When we went to the University of Washington in Seattle, they were impressed with what he had done with wheat straw for packaging, but what we hadn’t considered was the potential in the by-products of the wheat straw pulping process,” said Farrell.
“The by-products include those elements removed from wheat straw to create the pulp. They have proven to be a good fertiliser, which has previously been sold in the US. There are also more opportunities with this as a packaging option for bio-plastic films that Thava is currently testing.
“You can use the whole wheat straw to provide added benefits beyond just packaging and we are continuing our testing of that to get to market with a circular solution.
“It’s about cradle to cradle circularity, not cradle to grave.”
Farrell said the renewable speed of wheat straw was one of its major benefits when it comes to creating a circular economy.
“Having used products that can be rapidly renewable is a big benefit,” he said.
“Paper is good also, but it’s not as rapidly renewable as wheat straw. A lot of people are moving to paper though, which proves it’s good to have a range of things for solutions instead of focusing in just one area.”
COPAR will also be exhibiting at Fine Foods in September, showcasing its main products and solutions.
“We are also getting into cling wrap and other films, but we have only just started working on that with the University of Newcastle,” said Farrell.
“At Fine Food we will display our existing ranges and show how composting works and how to have an accelerated solution. And we also want to highlight wheat straw and all the benefits of it as a packaging material.”