GarageITB: sugarcane packaging
Our R&D department tested a new eco-friendly and 100% recyclable foam made from sugarcane.
Foam, in different thicknesses and densities, is often used both for product packaging and for packing. It is made soft and spongy by mixing substances which, when hot, develop gas and thus produce a myriad of small cavities in the mass.
Perfumes, cosmetics, jewelry, home accessories: many products can benefit from being packaged with foam as it is a resistant and light material, offering maximum protection, versatility and elegance to many products.
EVA foam inserts are used as a protective element in packaging products. As EVA foam is a rigid butsoft material, it can be cut into various shapes and mold around intricate products. EVA, being the highest density foam among all foams, adequately secures products into their respective boxes. Moreover, the matte and smooth surface provides a luxury feel to a packaging product. EVA foam is also very easy to coordinate with other materials; for example, a frequent request for the jewelry sector is EVA foam laminated with velvet material. But there are more possibilities: from paper coverings to bare solutions. The only flaw?
We would like for EVA to be more eco-friendly. That’s why we commissionedour R&D department to discover new solutions that are more compatible with the environment
Among the various innovations, which we will reveal later, we immediately tested a foam that struck us for its aesthetic characteristics. It is an EVA foam based on bio-polymers made with materials derived 100% from renewable sources. Which sources? Sugarcane!
Furthermore, this product is 100% recyclable.
There Are Two Sides To Every Coin: Advantages and Disadvantages of bio-based polymers and derived products
BENEFITS OF BIO-BASED PLASTICS
Bioplastics have a lower environmental impact as they are more easily (and quickly) reabsorbed by the environment, thus reducing pollution and the impact on the ecosystem.
Bioplastics are produced from renewable sources: in fact, they are produced from vegetable organic matter ensuring that there is no depletion of raw materials involved, as well as reducing the use of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions.
The use of organic raw materials can be a stimulus to agricultural activities, thus combating the excessive urbanization of rural areas.
Biodegradable bioplastics also provide an alternative for the disposal of products, thus reducing the volume of waste.
DRAWBACKS OF BIO-BASED PLASTICS
At the moment, the production costs are still quite high compared to conventional plastics and this affects the final price of the finished product.
It would also be necessary to regulate the origin and characteristics of the raw materials used, to avoid partaking in the phenomenon of deforestation.
Furthermore, considering the rather high transport costs of biomasses (as they are very voluminous) and the fact that the means to transport them are polluting, local procurement should be favored to reduce the impact on the environment and costs.
If it is true that bioplastics can be considered a good alternative to traditional plastics, it should be considered that they are still far from the requirement of total sustainability: they too produce waste and contribute to pollution.
We must, therefore, always remember to dispose of them properly, recycle them as much as possible and, above all, not use them to litter.
The EVA foam made from sugarcane is available in black and green colors and in different thicknesses and densities.
If you are interested in including EVA sugarcane foam in your projects, or if you want to quote your current packaging with this eco-foam, ask your account manager for more information or write us info@inthebox.it or info@intheboxusa.com for the US market.
