Packaging in New Zealand
Despite New Zealand’s ‘clean and green’ image, it only takes a quick stroll around the local supermarket to see how overly reliant on plastic packaging we still are. When looking for an alternative it’s important to consider materials that perform well but doesn’t rely on non-renewable sources and has disposal options that aren’t landfill.
At Punchbowl Packaging, we recognise we have a responsibility to play our part in working towards more sustainable options for our customers and our planet. To aid in our vision to create these sustainable solutions, we turned to the renewable, recyclable and 100% compostable resource: Bagasse.
What is Bagasse?
While bagasse was initially used as a term to describe the material that remained after pressing olives, palm nuts, and grapes[1], it is now most commonly used to refer to the by-products from sugar cane processing. When sugar cane is processed at a mill to extract the juices through crushing, the fibrous, pulpy components of the plant remain and become the by-product called bagasse. Bagasse produced from sugar cane is almost 30% dry weight of the plant[2], which could otherwise go to waste if not used as an alternative fuel source in electrical power generation (such as in the United States)[3], or pulp, paper and board.
Bagasse not only serves as a great alternative to oil-based plastic packaging, but also to pulp, paper and board which often derives from the wood of trees which can contribute to deforestation. Sugar cane grows significantly faster than traditional forests grown for wood and paper and only takes around a year to be harvest-ready. Trees, on the other hand, can take an average of ten to thirty years to fully mature, leading to bagasse being a significantly more renewable resource.
The physical properties of bagasse also allow for some forms of printing.Food manufacturers and suppliers can rest easy knowing important information such as best before dates, barcodes and brand names can be included in their packaging.
Bagasse at Punchbowl Packaging
Our bagasse punnets and trays can be used for most types of produce such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, mushrooms, cherries, stone fruits, tomatoes and plenty more. They have also been designed and tested for meat and seafood products. No bleach or colour is ever used in our punnets and trays; only the natural colour variation that derives from using a natural resource.
We have also used our expertise in automation packing to ensure all punnets and trays are optimised for automated packing operations.
We design our products here in New Zealand and work with suppliers in China who then source the bagasse and produce the product, bringing it to life. Punchbowl Packaging is BRC compliant (Brand Reputation through Compliance) and as such, we ensure our supply factories also meet these requirements for food safety.
Why choose Punchbowl Packaging bagasse products?
Our bagasse products can be recycled through kerbside recycling with paper and board. They are also 100% compostable certified to compost both at home with your garden waste and at industrial compost facilities.
Bagasse products from Punchbowl Packaging have been tested and passed for their ‘pulpability’, with a 95% yield of fibre, surpassing the 80% requirement. Assessment from a leading mechanical recycler deemed it to possess very good fibre content with minimal filler in their fibre re-pulping streams. In addition to these assessments, the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) has been approved for use on our bagasse packaging.
Not only do our products exemplify Punchbowl Packaging’s drive to create solutions that present a move towards more renewable resources while ensuring product preservation - they’re also award winning. We were the 2019 Gold Winner of the PIDA Sustainable Packaging Design Awards for our in-house designed Kaituna Blueberries punnets and we won two WorldStar Packaging Awards in 2020 for these as well. We also designed Moondarra Blueberries’ 125g blueberry punnets which went on to win the 2021 Eat Easy Awards in the Grown Category, part of which was won for the fully home compostable packaging.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagasse
[2] https://www.osti.gov/pages/servlets/purl/1376577, pg 635
[3] https://www.ourworldofenergy.com/vignettes.php?type=other-renewables-energy&id=6
