Scientists have found that grass, wheat straw, and corn stalks could be used to make alternatives to plastic packaging. The materials are compostable, and farmers currently produce them in large quantities.
As single-use plastic becomes unfashionable, individuals are more conscious about how they can reduce their use of plastic. At the same time, organizations are taking steps to provide people with eco-friendly options. For example, Waitrose reported that it would roll out plastic-free refilling stations, and The Body Shop has adopted a recycling scheme. Additionally, the 5p plastic bag fee in supermarkets has proven somewhat successful with a significantly lower number of bag sales.
In 2018, 42 UK supermarkets signed up for the UK Plastics Pact. The pact is an industry-wide initiative to transform packaging and reduce avoidable plastic waste.
Dr. Adam Charlton, a researcher on the project, said:
All of the UK supermarket retailers are desperate to solve the problem around single-use plastics.
Perhaps this new grass packaging alternative will be the next step supermarkets take to help reduce their single-use plastics.
Researchers from Bangor University have been working with leftover farming materials to make trays for fresh fruit, vegetables, and eggs. The process of making these trays involve mashing up plant fibers then pressing them into shallow trays. The University has already developed egg boxes from this process, which are currently being used by the supermarket Waitrose.
Charlton explained:
We spend a lot of time working with agricultural leftovers, things that people don’t do much with. That could be wheat straw or grass from the UK or maize stalks in Uganda.
The research shows this could provide an extra source of income for farmers in African countries such as Uganda. “Even if they’re being used as animal feed, there’s enough surplus to divert some into alternatives like this. This research could add value to materials that farmers currently aren’t using,” Charlton added.
It’s estimated that 30-40% of Uganda’s fruit and vegetables get wasted before reaching the market due to inadequate packaging and protection. Academics at Makerere University in Uganda and Bangor scientists are using waste corn stalks to produce food packaging there.
In the northwest Wales region, work with grass packaging to create trays has already kicked off. Hopefully, the rest of the world adopts these same methods for a plastic-free future.
