Sustainable Materials for Food Packaging and Leading Brands Leveraging Them

As consumers demand transparency in the supply chain, sustainable materials are becoming indispensable for responsible food packaging. Let's explore some renewable options and successful brands adopting them.

Plant-Based Plastics

Polylactic acid (PLA) made from corn starch is widely used for flexible paper packaging for food. Enjoy Life foods exclusively uses PLA films for snacks, with no GMOs, gluten or artificial ingredients.

Biodegradable Paper

Brands like Tetra Pak utilize paperboard containers for products like plant-based milks with FSC-certified, recyclable paper. Vitaminwater also uses molded fiber bottles.

Molded Fiber

Produced from renewable materials like lignocellulose, molded fiber lends structural rigidity for food trays. Emmi uses them for cheese slices and desserts with 95% recyclable packaging.

Compostable Materials

As nature works uses bio-plastic made of cassava and sugarcane for fruit snacks and granola bars. Their wrappers decompose into non-toxic ingredients within 180 days.

Paper Bags

Pasta brand Annie's switched to home-compostable paper bags for select products from multipacks. The naturally-processable bags emit fewer greenhouse gases than plastic bags.

By prioritizing recyclable and compostable materials, innovative brands showcase sustainable paper packaging for food is viable for protecting products and the planet.