Eko Saputra
IPMI International Business School
Amelia Naim Indrajaya
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Food packaging is an industry, which is picking up gradually year by year, the demand increases due to the change in lifestyles, simplicity, cost, and other practical reason. Plastic-related, aluminum & Styrofoam food packaging is one of the big contributors to the increase of waste globally, many red flags there due to its production which produces an excessive amount of carbon dioxide, is not properly recyclable, take long years to decompose, and overall pollute the environmental. Further, it was responded by the presence of some better options such as paper-based packaging which seems more toward the solution of the recyclable and compostable issues, however, other issues come since to protect the paper from heat, cold, and vapor the paper should be coated with several thin layers of chemicals or plastic or aluminum which also dangerous for human health and again hardly recyclable and compostable.
Foopak Bio Natura special is a product that has the features of recyclability, biodegradability, and composability, and it is produced using premium quality material designed for the food and beverage industry, specifically in the foodservice industry.
Foopak Bio Natura has passed the BfR XXXVI testing for baking purposes. This certification is intended for direct-contact food packaging with high-temperature testing. The paper and paperboard must be able to withstand a temperature of at least 200°C for the intended period of heating without decomposing.
ISEGA is an independent testing and certification institute from Germany for products in contact with food. Through this institute, APP tested paper and board for products in contact with food. Food Packaging paper and board had passed ISEGA regulation, indicating that Foopak products are safe for direct contact with food.
APP is specifically promoting Foopak Bio Natura as an alternative to the conventional paper cup that has a plastic lining in it. The current paper cup design is very difficult to recycle due to the plastic and paper which need to be separated in a special recycling facility. Positioning paper as a substitute to plastic has been a key focus in APP product development and innovation. Currently most of the paper-based packaging for food and drink in the market use plastic-based (PE) coating to ensure strength and durability. However, this PE coating is difficult to recycle and is not biodegradable. To address this, our product development team continue research for coating materials that enable the products to be biodegradable and easily recyclable, while at the same time maintaining the durability of the product when in use.
Foopak Bio Natura as the raw material and the design of butterfly cup, it has achieved the way that consumer can dispose of it in the best eco-friendly way, with an also innovative way to eliminate the usage of plastic straw and lid. Foopak took two years to research the materials used, three years to perfect production techniques.
It is safe for food and beverage direct contact certified by FDA and ISEGA testing report, plus the product is microwaveable and ovenable, suitable for foodservice in the airline, baking, and retail industry. APP is committed to continuously innovate with more eco-friendly products and have a good impact on life on earth.
Packaging is so common throughout our lives and the world that we hardly realize the massive volume of material consumed for packaging. Packaging is the key factor determining the volume and composition of municipal solid waste in many countries. The volume and composition of packaging waste are affected by several factors. Economic development, population, and a variety of national factors are key drivers for the total volume.
Since APP has core business in paper business for all related application such as printing writing, tissue, packaging. Therefore, it is obvious that the demand of compostable and recyclable packaging been seen as attractive market as well as part of APP contribution with their paper based ecofriendly packaging for a better world which means less non compostable/recyclable waste and more human friendly packaging without impacting a lot on the taste and off course safe for human beings.
The change of packaging trend from plastic based to organic based material i.e., Paper based has significantly helps on the reduction of compostable and recyclable period of the waste which comes from any industries who use any kind of food packaging. F & B business has taken big part of the packaging demand with the fast life cycle from it is being used to become a waste.
Additionally, despite of the plastic-based waste reduction, the initiative from APP by their paper based eco-friendly packaging where also not using PE, PP or PT lined as their technology also reduce the potential impact to the food consumer health. Traditionally, PE, PP, and PET-coated paper’s films belong to plastic; they are all non-biodegradable and non-compostable. They’re recyclable but very high cost.
Better option towards consumer health is an offer from APP-Foopak which lead to world less production and consumption of “non-compostable and non-recyclable” food packaging,. It’s their company future strategic plan or respond towards the needs of better world, part of the blue ocean product initiatives from APP.
Every year in the world there is an increase in the production of paper cups by 3-5% with the highest growth rate occurring in the Asia Pacific region. Unfortunately, of the +320 billion paper cups produced worldwide annually, less than 1% is recycled due to the difficulty of the paper-plastic separation process.
LIPI data shows that 96% of food delivery in Indonesia uses plastic packaging. The Indonesian market has huge potential. Considering the total usage of food service in Indonesia is estimated at 2,800 - 3,000 MT/month.
Based on the above market potential where the awareness of the needs of ecofriendly packaging is picking up both for local Indonesia or abroad then the innovation made by APP by their ecofriendly packaging will significantly bring more revenue and profitability and furthermore it could be their future core business in the future.
While APP production capacity is only about 500 MT/month in August 2021 and has been pushed to grow 10 times to be 5000 MT/month and potentially need to be increased further to capture Indonesia and global market.
Organic waste or waste derived from natural materials such as vegetables, fruit peels, and similar materials will decompose within days or weeks, or at least less than a month. Meanwhile, paper waste will decompose within 2 to 6 months. PE, PP, PT -Lined Paper Food Packaging is harder to decompose it takes 10 – 100 years.
Less than 1% of Paper Cups produced in 2018 are recycled. Regular plastic bags take 10 to 12 years to decompose. Due to its more complex and thicker polymers, plastic bottles need 20 years to break down. Additionally, the regular Styrofoam often used in Indonesia will need 500 years to be destroyed.
The APP Foopka paper packaging is plastic-free, recyclable, and compostable either through industrial processes or at home. Foopak Bio Natura is also guaranteed food-grade, heat resistant (microwaveable and oven able) and only uses quality paper materials from Industrial Plantation Forests (HTI) areas whose supply chains have also been certified both nationally and internationally.
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Benny Chiadarma, Product Manager
Organic waste, or waste derived from natural materials such as vegetables, fruit peels, and similar materials will decompose within days or weeks, or at least less than a month. Meanwhile, paper waste will decompose within 2 to 6 months. PE, PP, PT -Lined Paper Food Packaging is harder decompose it takes 10 – 100 years.
Less than 1% of Paper Cups produced in 2018 are recycled. Regular plastic bags take 10 to 12 years to decompose. Plastic bottle takes much longer. Due to its more complex and thicker polymers, plastic bottles need 20 years to break down. Additionally, the regular Styrofoam often used in Indonesia will need 500 years to be destroyed.
The APP Foopak paper packaging is plastic free, recyclable, and compostable either through industrial processes or at home. Foopak Bio Natura is also guaranteed food grade, heat resistant (microwaveable and ovenable) and only uses quality paper materials from Industrial Plantation Forests (HTI) areas whose supply chains have also been certified both nationally and internationally.