Alternatives to plastic packaging

We present five organic materials: environmentally friendly solutions for takeaway, delivery, and grab-and-go. We offer restaurants, retailers, and businesses a way to avoid plastic waste in everyday life and reduce their carbon footprint. That is why our plastic alternatives are carbon neutral—throughout their entire life cycle.

Contact us for packaging alternatives

Today, more and more people are consciously consuming sustainably - and appreciate being offered environmentally friendly products when shopping. For the out-of-home business, alternatives to plastic products are an ideal opportunity to demonstrate responsibility and pick up environmentally conscious customers. In addition, since July 2021, there has been an EU-wide ban on plastic, to which companies must respond with appropriate plastic alternatives. The ban underlines once again: the future of the out-of-home business can be designed plastic-free for a variety of food and beverages, because there are modern and environmentally friendly alternatives from nature!

To our takeaway products

Renewable, versatile and eminently recyclable: It is not for nothing that cardboard is becoming increasingly popular as a green plastic alternative. As a material for boxes, bowls, cups and plates, cardboard has several advantages to offer. As a domestic and renewable raw material, cardboard significantly reduces your CO2 emissions. In addition, we at BioPak take special care to use natural raw materials from controlled sources: The FSC® certificate on our cartonboard products guarantees you that the raw materials come from forests managed in an environmentally, socially and economically responsible way - thus ruling out overexploitation and exploitation when purchasing.

Where take-away and catering used to rely on aluminium and plastic containers, sustainable boxes and trays made of cardboard are the obvious choice in today's everyday gastronomy. But the cost factor is also interesting for take-away providers; after all, recycled cardboard is relatively inexpensive to purchase.

Learn more about our cardboard range

Bagasse als Alternativen zu Plastikverpackungen

Our next alternative to plastic containers is bagasse. Bagasse is a waste product from sugar production: the crushed plant fibers remain after sugar cane has been pressed and can be processed into sturdy bowls, for example. This makes bagasse a good example of upcycling because, unlike plastic and other materials, the substance does not have to be manufactured specifically. This has a particularly positive effect on the carbon footprint. Just like the raw material for recycled cardboard, paperboard, and paper, sugar cane and sugar millet are renewable resources—a characteristic that plastic cannot boast.

Another advantage is that bagasse is plastic-free and up to 100 percent biodegradable. Many products made from this material can therefore be easily broken down in home compost or are also industrially compostable. Bagasse is becoming increasingly popular as a sustainable material. In the future, waste disposal companies will likely develop even more efficient composting processes.

Learn more about our bagasse range

Graspapier als Alternativen zu Plastikverpackungen

In addition to the petroleum required, the high water consumption in plastic production also has a negative impact on the environment. In this respect, grass paper comes into question as a particularly efficient alternative to plastic. The production of one tonne of grass fibre pulp requires only two litres of drinking water. With little pollution, grass paper bags and trays can simply be disposed of in the waste paper.

In addition, the locally harvested grass comes from compensatory areas that do not compete with the enormous land requirements of animal feed production. Similar to FSC®-certified wood, there is no need to worry about forest clearance, land grabbing or other negative consequences when producing grass paper. Moreover, in the course of the purely mechanical production process, the grass fibre does not have to be chemically processed.

Learn more about our grass paper product range

Holz als Alternativen zu Plastikverpackungen

If you offer ready-to-eat dishes, you can provide your guests with plastic-free cutlery as well as suitable packaging. For environmentally friendly disposable knives, forks and spoons, birch wood is a domestic, renewable raw material. The material is stable and neutral in taste and smell. At the same time, the wood look remains recognisable and customers notice your ecological commitment.

Wooden cutlery is coated with the food-safe wax of the carnauba palm, which ensures a pleasant mouthfeel when eating. The wax is extracted from the leaves of the palm tree. It is odourless and tasteless and also absolutely harmless to the body. Whether with or without a wax layer: wooden cutlery can be disposed of in the residual waste and burns absolutely free of pollutants.

rPet als Alternativen zu Plastikverpackungen

We know PET (polyethylene terephthalate) primarily as the classic material for plastic bottles (PET bottles). If the once-used plastic is reprocessed, we speak of rPET (recycled PET). Instead of simply ending up in the rubbish, the material is cleaned and shredded. With modern recycling processes, new plastic bottles and other containers can be made from 100 per cent recycled plastic. In this way, the plastic that was produced at great expense is not lost.

For the environment, the use of rPET is an enormous relief. Because compared to the production of new plastic containers, rPET production requires significantly less petroleum. Overall, the CO2 balance of rPET is up to 70 percent lower than that of new PET. After use, the recycled material can be returned to the normal recycling cycle.

Sugarcane fibre (bagasse)1/6

Compostable sugarcane fibre is a great example of upcycling. It is made with surplus natural material from sugar production: sugar cane stems.

Readily biodegrades under controlled composting conditions
Once composted it turns to soil in just a few weeks
Suitable for industrial composting
May be sorted with food waste depending on local regulations
Available certification: EN13432

After use: you can sort with waste for industrial composting or cardboard for recycling. Local waste regulations need to be followed. Check with your local waste handlers.

Cardboard/Paper2/6

Most of our Cardboard/Paper products are made from FSC™-certified fibre. They are often accepted for either composting, or recycling as paper pulp if not contaminated by food.