Benefit of using sugarcane for disposable food packaging
If you have been to Coles or Woolworth you may notices that the’re replacing some of their plastic packaging with what feel like paper base, but much much more sturdier almost as strong as the original plastic bases they use for packaging bakeries such as cakes, croissant, scones, muffins, biscuits. You may also see these type of food packaging in trendy, popular food outlet such as at Movie World, Sea world, Tarragon Zoo, Sydney Harbour cafe, fancy Melbourne city strips or Katoomba Blue Mountains and Surrounding.
What is Sugarcane packaging?
The benefits of sugar cane since the theory of recyclable biodegradable plastic was debunked (there’s little benefit in a material that degrades completely in two to three years), plastic producers have been looking for a viable polythene product, that’s not only environmentally friendly, but also suitable for the recycling mix and for subsequent reuse.
Sugar cane can be used to create bags, covers, tubes, films, wraps and stretch film, which means there are a wide variety of functions to which it can be applied. The introduction of even the smallest amounts of biodegradable material into the recycling mix degrades the whole process, limiting the number of times that plastics can be reused. It’s no longer just about being biodegradable, but also bio-based. Being bio-based means that renewable sources are used and there’s no loss of valuable non-renewable fossil fuels.
There are many benefits of using sugarcane products. These, and other forms of biodegradable food containers, offer an environmentally friendly alternative. Biodegradable plates are typically made from bagasse, which is a material that is made from sugar cane. This is a widely available renewable and sustainable resource. Biodegradable plates made from bagasse will decompose over time and do not have the same negative impact on the environment as non-biodegradable plates and others.
Humans have cultivated sugarcane for many centuries to produce sugar. But only recently has high-tech innovation started unlocking other useful products that are clean and renewable. Use of sugarcane is expanding into an extraordinarily diverse range of value-added products that include:
Here are some additional benefits of sugarcane made to different products:
Sugar
The world’s favourite high-energy and all-natural sweetener
Ethanol
A clean, affordable, and renewable transportation fuel.
Bio-electricity
Leftover sugarcane biomass can be burned and converted into electricity.
Bio Plastics
Beverage containers, food packaging and other consumer products made with sugarcane using less or no oil compared to standard plastic.
Bio-hydrocarbons and Beyond
The cutting edge of sugarcane innovation where scientists are using cane to produce fuels that could replace gasoline, diesel and jet fuel without needing petroleum.
Sugarcane pulp packaging is made from the pulp of the sugarcane plant, and is extremely durable, lightweight, inexpensive, and biodegrades in 30-90 days once exposed to composting conditions. It has no taste, odour or harmful additives and can be both heated up or frozen. This makes it an ideal alternative to traditional polystyrene meal packaging.
There are a wide range of biodegradable plates available. This includes small plates which are ideal for children’s parties through to large plates with lids that are well suited for larger meals or for entertaining.