Scottish company Cuantec puts forth its formula for sustainability-focused packaging alternatives. The eco material closely resembles traditional plastic wrap. The firm extracts chitin — which is a natural waste found after processing langoustines from shellfish, through fermentation. Then, the substance is transitioned into chitosan, which is more soluble.
The packaging alternative essentially relies on the waste that is generated by the fish processing industry in Scotland and Northern Ireland, specifically, given the origin of the company. During the prototyping stages, the material has proven to be fully biodegradable within 90 days, adding yet another desirable aspect to the packaging alternative.
As of right now, Cunatec's product is not ready to launch, however, a number of businesses have already expressed interest in it.
Photo Credits: Shutterstock
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Eco-friendly Packaging
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Developing packaging materials that are biodegradable and sustainable.
- Waste Upcycling
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Creating valuable products or materials from waste generated by industries.
- Bio-based Materials
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Utilizing natural resources to develop materials with improved properties and lower environmental impact.
Where This Applies
- Food Processing
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Finding sustainable solutions to manage waste and byproducts generated in food processing.
- Packaging and Labeling
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Redesigning packaging options to reduce environmental impact and increase biodegradability.
- Sustainable Materials
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Exploring alternative materials that can replace traditional plastics and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
