In a time where being green has never been more important, a new packaging product is being made…out of potatoes??
Tom’s of Maine, producer of all-natural toothpaste and other hygiene products, has decided to give non-GMO potatoes a try as their new product packaging. These non-edible potatoes, that would have otherwise been thrown away, will be distributed by Maine’s local potato growers allowing for them to be recycled, rather than ending up in a landfill.
You may be asking, how can we use potatoes for packaging? It appears that potato starch can be used to create a plastic resin called polyactic acid, or PLA, which can be used to make packaging items such as mouthwash containers a deodorant canisters.
Tom’s of Maine will be working with the University of Maine and the Sustainable Bioplastics Council of Maine to determine the ways they can possibly recapture local agricultural waste for more sustainable packaging options.
“One interesting finding from our research is that for the initial plant, we don’t need to take potatoes away from use as food to meet the needs for bioplastic production,” said Kate Dickerson, researcher for the University of Maine.
With this ability, we will be reducing the waste that comes from products like potatoes and corn that cannot be consumed and prevent the possibility of taking away perfectly good products from consumers that can be purchased for use.
This is not the first time Tom’s of Maine has decided to give alternative packaging a try. They have also used innovative ideas like aluminum and laminate toothpaste tubes in the past.
Since this new potato packaging has not yet been put into use, Tom’s of Maine is currently continuing the use of their laminate toothpaste tubes which uses less energy to manufacture and is more likely to be recycled than the old aluminum tube. For this reason, Tom’s of Maine has now partnered with TerraCycle in order to eliminate packaging waste.
In order to provide a more sustainable packaging option for your products, contact PreferPack. We can help you meet the demands of your sustainable packaging requirements at a cost that works for you.