Greener packaging promoted
Saad Hussain came to New Zealand from Canada three years ago and brought with him an idea that could revolutionise food and beverage packaging.
In a Rotorua laboratory at Crown Research Institute Scion, Hussain turned corn into a biodegradable foam.
No one is using it yet but Hussain said he was in talks with some of the world’s biggest food and beverage companies.
Polylactic acid (PLA), the polymer in the foam that is made from corn, decomposed on its own over time, but could only be broken down at an industrial scale in Europe.
Community Recycling Network New Zealand executive officer Dorte Wray said PLA could be decomposed and recycled here, but only with industrial equipment which was not commonly available.
Hussain said for sustainable packaging to become mainstream, the entire supply chain needed to support its use.
‘‘We just invent it … We are one piece of the puzzle.’’
Hussain said he would not stop inventing green packaging solutions just because most brands were not using them yet. He was adamant the cost of PLA would continue to drop and foam like his would eventually become more attractive.
For now, Hussain said he was looking at making his invention cheaper because the only thing stopping companies from printing their labels onto the stretched foamed film was the cost.
Consumers were becoming more conscious of the environment and it made sense for businesses to take note. – Stuff