BioFreshPak

Bio-based Packaging  for Fresh Food (BIOFRESHPAK) is focused on improved packaging materials that will be biodegradable and recyclable

SWaCH Rally

The team attended a SWaCH rally in a slum area of Pune. The team took part in the march which was calling for households to separate their waste, met with pickers and held informal interviews with team about their role and conditions and met with leaders of SWaCH to...

Vishwakarma site visit

Discussed potential for creating recycled pellets from films. The team at Vishawakarma demonstrated how they sort each 25kg bag of mixed plastics. The majority of which came from white goods and brands such as Whirlpool. The Manager said they would be willing to...

Phoenix fruit and vegetable Mall site visit

Various different types of packaging were observed across the fruits and vegetables, in particular moisture was clearly visible in Gourd packaging. Okra and Green Beans. A short interview was held with the store manager who stated that they had no control over...

Earth Champions Visit Mumbai and Pune

Site visit to Balson Industries on the edge on Pune, to view extrusion techniques and methods for shroud creation. Various methods were observed, the Balson team discussed previous films they had created and the different successes.

BioFreshPak Project

This project,  Bio-based Packaging  for Fresh Food (BIOFRESHPAK) is focused on improved packaging materials that will be biodegradable and recyclable

About

This project,  Bio-based Packaging  for Fresh Food (BIOFRESHPAK) is focused on improved packaging materials that will be biodegradable and recyclable and will A) reduce wastage  by improving the storage stability and shelf life of food during transit between the producer and the urban consumer, B) reduce the level of adulteration via sealable and tamper-evident features, C) reduce urban solid waste from packaging going to landfill, and D) improve health and well being of the population by improved retention of nutritional quality and reducing risk of spoilage in meat or vegetables. To achieve these objectives, the project will develop innovative bio-based hybrid polymer packaging films with selective humidity and permeability control and improved shelf-life performance with enhanced environmental characteristics. The packaging systems will be based on the incorporation and compatibilisation of presently under used agri-waste (tapioca starch recovered from cassava waste water treatment) at low costs into conventional and other bio-based polymers. The treatment of the agri-waste will contribute to reducing the significant cassava waste problems.