Cellulose packaging is made from cellulose-based materials such as paper, cardboard, or cellophane which can be used to produce environmentally friendly bioplastic.

A nontechnology company has developed a cellulose-based, 100% renewable material designed to replace plastic coating on packaging. The green technique, called Chromatogeny, makes any cellulose-based packaging hydrophobic where products remain protected without the sacrifice of sustainability.

Consumers and legislators respond better to paper than plastic, as it is associated with recyclability and not contributing to “ocean debris.” Extended producer responsibility policies tend to prefer fibre-based packaging.

Trees are a renewable resource and also are beneficial because they consume carbon from the atmosphere. However, forests need to be “managed responsibly” to truly provide benefits over fossil fuel-based materials.

As these fibre-based alternatives hit their high barrier and performance targets, it is expected that paper will become more popular.

The new paper based packaging contains 58% less plastic than the original MasterFoods Squeeze on Packs. This innovation was developed due to the need to keep the convenience of the original squeeze on packs. After use the consumers can now dispose of the package in the recycling instead of the general waste.

General Manager of Mars Food & Nutrition Australia, Bill Heague, says, “The trial of paper-based MasterFoods Recyclable Squeeze-On Tomato Sauce packs marks another important milestone in Mars’ sustainability journey, and demonstrates the role the food industry can play in working towards a circular economy. Currently, over 240 million of our MasterFoods Squeeze-On packs are used each year – that’s nine packs for every Australian. We know that as we work towards more sustainable packaging, it’s important that we understand how it performs in market – with consumers, customers and through the packaging value chain. This trial will allow us to better understand how this new paper-recyclable squeeze-on performs so we can take these learnings forwards. If we transition our full portfolio to this new format over time, Mars Australia would be set to eliminate around 190 tonnes of plastic from our value chain a year.”