Packaging changes have increasingly and repeatedly led to completely new emphases in the overall market, especially as companies work to make their packages more environmentally friendly. One result that has come out of this is a new focus on compostable packaging, in an attempt to show that companies truly care about the future environmental impacts their products may have.

An emerging trend in sustainable packaging is compostable packaging. An emerging trend in sustainable packaging is compostable packaging.

A press release by Ecovative reported that the company plans on expanding its high-performing protective packaging foam, Mushroom Packaging, into new markets. This type of packaging is cost competitive and can be much more sustainable than traditional plastic foam packaging because it is neither made out of plastic foam nor bioplastics - instead, it's grown from mycelium and low-value crop waste.

Mushroom Packaging is expanding into Asian markets, Ecovative said, and they added it can be used in the production and supply of materials that need high-quality cushioning. These markets include:

  • consumer electronics
  • appliances
  • furniture
  • industrial equipment.

When the material reaches the end of its life cycle, it can be easily composted and returned to the ground.

The Asian market is only the latest for this compostable packaging  technology, which is currently in production in Iowa and New York. The expansion planned for the material may be especially beneficial, though, because the region specializes in the design and manufacturing of high-tech products, many of which require specialized packaging types.

Compostable packaging film created

World Press Online wrote that another type of compostable packaging is growing in adoption. The German brand of premium energy bars Jäger und Sammler has chosen NatureFlex, a compostable flexible material, for its packaging needs. NatureFlex itself starts life as a natural product, as it's developed from wood, and can break down completely in a compost environment in just weeks. It also has deadfold and anti-static properties, grease-resistance, being {is} a barrier to gases and aromas, and a wide heat-seal range.

"As our Jäger und Sammler bars are 100% organic, the wrapping should also have cutting edge characteristics," said Ivan Perez, one of the founders of the brand. "Innovia Films' NatureFlex™ fits the bill perfectly for us.  The compostability of this film in combination with it being manufactured from renewable resources is exactly what we were looking for in our approach towards healthier food where no harm is caused to the environment."

The film itself is certified to meet standards for compost and can be sourced from managed plantations. It normally sees about 95 percent of its weight of material come from biobased structures and products.

Compostable biodegradable cushion bags

Another release found that PakNatural, a company that produces biodegradable cushion bags, will further add to compostable packaging choices for companies in the packaging industry. These bags are made from renewable materials, certified to be both biodegradable and compostable, and will help many packaging companies improve their environmental consciousness in the near future.