Aiding the Environment: Green Food Packaging Aiming to Save the Planet
With growing concern for the environment, people in the world are more than ever searching for socially responsible products to use in their daily lives. Sustainability is a particular hot topic within the food service industry. Every year, billions of foodservice containers manufactured from petroleum-based foams end up in already overstuffed landfills. Slow to decompose, they become yet another burden for Earth. Easily washed into waterways and ingested by wildlife, plastics, especially polystyrene (Styrofoam), are a large environmental hazard. In the past decade governments have taken a more active role at promoting and urging Green practices. In California, city of San Francisco has banned non-biodegradable polystyrene and city of Santa Cruz has instituted a voluntary compliance with a mandatory ban being put into place.
In 2008, Red Pod Inc has introduced Earth to Earth Pack – a line of starch based, environmentally friendly, and biodegradable food packaging and a welcome alternative to petroleum based packaging rivaling in both durability and cost.
Background on Starch-Based Food Packaging:
In general starch-based biodegradable plastics have starch contents ranging from 10% to greater than 90%. Starch based polymers can be based on crops such as corn (maize), wheat or potatoes. Starch content needs to exceed 60% before significant material breakdown occurs. As the starch content is increased, the polymer composites become more biodegradable and leave fewer residues. Earth to Earth Pack food containers degrade safely and completely back into nature without releasing any toxic by-products.
Benefits of Starch-Based Food Packaging:
Blending Green packaging with starch improves properties such as water resistance while keeping the product composite natural. Starch-based prototypes are sturdy, attractive, convenient to use, and just as water resistant their petroleum-based counterparts. Earth to Earth Pack containers are impermeable and non-toxic, and completely safe to use in a microwave and freezer.
In the era of reusability and sustainability, Earth to Earth Pack biodegradable containers are a guilt-free disposable solution for ready-to-eat meals and to-go applications.
Thermoplastic starch-based products are an attractive option due to their low material cost and versatility. Continued Research and Development will push for further improvement and widen applications for new markets.
About Red Pod Inc
Red Pod Inc was formed in 2003 when a group of like-minded, forward thinking, and enthusiastic people decided to look at developing environmentally responsible alternatives to conventional packaging products. Today, Red Pod offers a wide range of products with its Earth to Earth Pack range, showcasing various processes and compositions. Red Pod is constantly searching for ways to improve and to add to its product line; our actions today are not just for the environment, but also for ourselves and ultimately for the generations that will follow.
Red Pod Inc
465 Fairchild Dr Ste 207
Mountain View CA 94043 USA
T. 650.396.7550
F. 650.967.3922
ask@redpod.com
GreenforGenerations.
