Meat + Poultry - September 2010 - 111

PACKAGING SOLUTIONS

lower overall carbon footprint than
petrochemicals, emit less greenhouse
gas and consume less energy during
manufacture than all other commonly used plastics," he points out.
In addition, trays and pads made
with Ingeo fiber are part of the eco
cycle in that they literally and fi guratively can return to the earth:
according to Kunnemann, Ingeo
foodservice and fresh-food packaging can be composted in commercial or industrial composting
facilities. "While composting is not
widespread in the U.S. today, it is
emerging and is an attractive endof-life option as one looks at food
waste and compostable packaging
both being diverted as one from
landfi lls," he remarks.
Many packaging providers and
their processor customers have embraced such greener options for meat

NatureTRAY foam trays made with renewable materials. (Photo courtesty of Sealed Air/Cryovac)

"The use of sustainable
materials is spreading
across the supply chain."
and poultry packaging, swapping out
traditional polystyrene foam trays
for trays made with renewable materials like Ingeo fiber. Among others, NatureWorks LLC partners
with major packaging companies
like Pactiv, Sealed Air/Cryovac and
Dyne-A-Pak to create foam trays for
meat and poultry packaging. Sealed
Air/Cryovac, for its part, also offers
an absorbent pad that is renewable
and compostable.

Sustainable support systems
The use of sustainable materials is
spreading across the supply chain.
Demand for materials that are renewable and compostable, including Earth-friendlier foam trays, is
driven by consumers, foodservice
operators, retailers, processors and
packaging companies as part of their
respective sustainability programs.
Lower carbon footprint materials
are part of those programs and help
various organizations and individu-

Dyne-A-Pak compostable foam tray for meat and poultry. (Photo courtesty of NatureWorks LLC)

als meet their sustainability goals,
Kunnemann says.
Other players in the food chain
are embracing greener technologies,
too. For instance, resin converters
and machinery manufacturers are
investing in application expertise
and product development to stay
competitive. "This means that the
supply chain is maturing and supporting the growth of biopolymers,"
Kunnemann observes.
Even political leaders are jumping into the tray fray. In Seattle, for
example, the use of polystyrene foam
trays for retail packages was banned
earlier this year by city leaders looking
to make some green changes. Right
now, Kunnemann says, Ingeo trays
are used as a "compostable solution"
for many Seattle businesses.
Although the Pacific Northwest has
long been a leader in the natural and

90 * Meat&Poultry * September 2010 * www.MeatPoultry.com

sustainable movement, that polystyrene ban may herald other legislative
moves throughout the country. "Local and state governments concerned
with waste are formulating regulations
that promote the use of renewable, recyclable and compostable products,"
Kunnemann points out.
As sustainability evolves as a reality
rather than a buzzword, innovations
are ongoing in the development and
application of nature-based packaging resources, such as those offered by
NatureWorks LLC. "We continue to
assess means to improve processing
and output based on new technology
that in several cases may require enhanced equipment and new formulations," Kunnemann concludes. ■
Lynn Petrak is a Chicago-area free-lance writer.
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Meat + Poultry - September 2010

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