One collaboration included developing moulded fibre trays infused with blueberry pomace, the leftover residue from juicing or processing. Photo: Supplied / Plant and Food Research
Scientists from public research organisation Scion are working with farmers and growers to turn all kinds of agricultural waste - from blueberries to avocado stones - into sustainable and compostable packaging.
The project is funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's collaborative Bioresource Processing Alliance (BPA).
Team leader for sustainable materials Kate Parker said fibre packaging was a "huge growth industry" globally, as researchers looked to come up with viable alternatives to plastic.
Parker said Scion's researchers were exploring whether incorporating agricultural byproducts into moulded fibre trays could enhance their strength and moisture resistance.
The researchers were open-minded about where the waste materials was sourced.
"We've looked at all sorts of different biomasses out there, across waste streams that are coming out of different New Zealand industries. We've looked at things like the outer leaves of cabbage that the market farmers have a big excess of, we've looked at the hemp fibres that are not used for other applications. Avocado stones is another, left over from the oil industry. Pretty much anything."
Among the waste material being looked at are avocado stones left over from the oil industry. Photo:
Parker said it was "early days" for the project. Scion was talking to both producers who needed to get rid of waste, as well as businesses who wanted non-plastic packaging.
"At this stage researchers are concentrating on producing fibre packaging...the next stage is definitely talking a lot to industry to figure out what they want, what properties are important, what they need and how we can tailor a product to suit the performance requirements that they have for their product."
Developing non-plastic, food-grade packaging products could potentially come later, she added.
One collaboration included developing moulded fibre trays infused with blueberry pomace, the leftover residue from juicing or processing the berries at Rotorua grower Mamaku Blue.
Owner Michaela Frost says the purple trays were not just eye catching but were an "exciting" opportunity for her business, the sector and the environment.
Horticulture used a lot of plastic, she added.
"It does make sense because it's easy to use. It's been around for quite a while now and it's just very affordable. But then it goes back into [landfill] where you don't want to have it."
Another major benefit was getting rid of the huge amounts of blueberry byproduct - as much as 10 tonnes a year - that Mamaku Blue dealt with, said Frost.
"We are already creating some products from byproduct, such as freeze dried berries and oils, but we just can never deal with it all fast enough."
Scion's bio-products and packaging portfolio leader Christophe Collet said the work aimed to reduce waste while supporting New Zealand's circular bioeconomy.
"We're using waste stream that would go otherwise to landfill. So we use some materials and incorporating them with some wood fibre packaging that is coming also from a renewable resource, being wood. [The new packaging product] replaces traditional plastics which would be produced from the oil industry. At the end of life it is combustible, and will turn back into water and CO2."
He said businesses with waste streams should get in touch to see whether Scion could also help them add value to their biomass byproduct.
"We can develop new projects, using the funding that is covering most of the cost of the research project."
