Cellulose-Based Sustainable Food Packaging

Date:November 9, 2023

Country: Finland

Application

• The main application of this project is the creation of sustainable food packaging, offering an eco-friendly alternative to polypropylene (PP) trays. It enables the production of deeper, more flexible, and biodegradable food containers suitable for products like lunch meats and cheese.

Description

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has successfully piloted a cellulose-based alternative to polypropylene (PP) food packaging, using wood-derived cellulose to create thermoformable, rigid 3D packaging with up to 30% extensibility. This material enables deeper and more sustainable food trays, offering a viable, eco-friendly alternative to conventional plastic packaging. The process requires minimal equipment modification and can be scaled up affordably, making it an attractive option for brands aiming to adopt sustainable packaging. VTT’s pilot was conducted in collaboration with Gruppo X and Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology, with food-contact approval for the material in the pipeline.

Pathway Description:

The process used in this project involves thermoforming a cellulose-based material into rigid 3D packaging on an industrial packaging line. The material, derived from wood cellulose, is highly extensible, allowing the production of deeper and more flexible food trays compared to conventional fiber-based materials. This process requires minimal equipment modifications and can be scaled up for commercial use, offering a sustainable alternative to polypropylene (PP) packaging. Optimization of process parameters ensures affordability and ease of adoption by brands.