Ecological packaging that will surprise you

Fragile objects, be they porcelain figurines, electronic devices or figures carved in wood, so much is given, usually they are protected by one or more wrapping that protects them from the blows that they may suffer.

They are not always as effective as they should be, but are generally a good idea. At an environmental level, however, the same cannot be said, since the material from which they are made (cork, polystyrene or foam rubber, among others) are highly polluting. Above all, because they take thousands of years to degrade and while they do, they pollute their own in all types of ecosystems.

Finding green solutions is not easy, but the Ecovative company has created a biodegradable material that aspires to satisfy this need without implying a terrible attack on the planet.

The Bobble bottles are an invention that seeks the use of water from the tap of an original and practical way. His proposal is tempting, although I do not know if it is really worth it, since filtering it with activated carbon is not always the best guarantee when drinking it.

Even so, compared to PET bottles, which are problematic in terms of health and environmental pollution, these solve both problems, because in addition to being reusable (they are filled with tap water) they are made with non-polluting materials such as BPA, PVC or phthalates.

With it, you avoid buying bottled water and each filter can be reused up to 300 times, thus reducing environmental impact and saving money. Health, out of prudence, better put aside.

The company Tetra Pak, specialized in food packaging, has invented the LightCap 30 , a biodegradable high-density polyethylene (HDPE) cap made with sugar cane from a dehydration process that converts ethanol (obtained from the trituration and distillation of its juice) in ethylene.

Fast food will be much more so if when it comes to wrapping sandwiches they follow the example of the Brazilian fast food chain Bob, who were the first to save the wrapping paper by replacing it with a kind of paper that is actually part of the menu.

The invention has had a great impact at the sales level, an unexpected invention that during the promotional campaign in which it was launched made it very clear that the packaging that goes to the garbage is expendable. If the example spreads, eating with your eyes could pass away …

The Tetra Rex are the evolution of the famous Tetra Paks, with the advantage of being made from biodegradable plant materials. Manufactured by Tetra Pak, they incorporate the aforementioned biodegradable cap. In both cases they have been manufactured with polyethylene derived from sugar cane, in different densities.

Eggs need effective protective packaging, which does not prevent us from finding green solutions, such as the one proposed by the Hungarian designer Otília Andrea Erdelyi. Its suggestive design replaces the typical cardboard egg carton with a minimal material that, although it protects somewhat less, also avoids unnecessary manipulations when checking broken eggs, as it can be seen with the naked eye.

The boxes designed by Crhis Curro and Herny Wang, two mechanical engineering students, are an interesting alternative to conventional cardboard boxes. They are lighter and open and close in a breeze.

They do not need any additions (tape, staples or the like) to keep them closed and the cardboard used is recyclable. Therefore, raw materials and money are saved and they can also be reused, thus respecting the environment. The result is less deforestation.

The typical polystyrene trays that are used so much in the sale of all kinds of food, especially fresh products such as meat, fish, fruits and vegetables, could have their days numbered. At least the current ones, made with polluting materials.

The use of hemp and flax as an alternative raw material is giving very good results in experimental developments such as that of the company Termoformas de Levante, which works in collaboration with other European companies to manufacture trays similar to the current ones that, unlike these , are biodegradable.

Its production is being developed within the Traysrenew project, and the objective is to design a packaging for food that ends up replacing the current ones. Work is being done successfully to achieve a sustainable and affordable solution that encourages companies to use it and, in turn, enhances the production of the crops necessary to produce the raw material, such as hemp and flax.

Currently, the challenge is to lower the price of biodegradable polymers, since today they are still more expensive than artificial ones, which is why their use is so widespread.

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