W-Cycle, Ltd., a leader in innovative sustainable food and drink packaging solutions, has partnered strategically with Melhoramentos, a publicly traded Brazilian firm involved in publishing, renewable forestry, and real estate (Altea). Their joint mission is to develop compostable packaging crafted from renewable materials that degrade naturally within 100 days.
This agreement, valued at a minimum of USD 3.45 million and spanning an initial three-year term, involves W-Cycle supplying Melhoramentos Latin America with its proprietary food-grade packaging formula. Additionally, consulting services from W-Cycle will assist Melhoramentos in creating its cutting-edge biodegradable packaging. Melhoramentos plans to integrate its own high-performance cellulose fibers sourced from extensive renewable forestry operations covering over 80 million square meters.
In response to the increasing demand within the food and drink packaging sector for sustainable alternatives, Melhoramentos is committed to delivering packaging solutions that are grease-resistant, moisture-proof, and capable of withstanding extreme temperatures—serving as efficient eco-friendly replacements for single-use plastics.
A greener future
“There has long been a global demand for more sustainable packaging solutions,” says Rafael Gibini, CEO of Melhoramentos. “Our collaboration with W-Cycle opens the door to a new and inspiring use for our cellulose-based natural resources. Together, we’re ushering in a new era that could eventually phase out single-use plastic packaging and pave the way for a more sustainable future.”
“Partnering with such a renowned industry leader is a pivotal moment in our journey,” states Isaac Rome, CEO of W-Cycle. “This collaboration will open up a wide array of opportunities for both companies to deliver impactful and affordable packaging solutions by blending expertise and creativity.”
The clean-tech startup W-Cycle has made significant strides in greener food and drink packaging with its patented food-grade SupraPulp™ material. This innovative material combines by-products from sugarcane (known as bagasse) and other sustainable resources like eucalyptus wood fibers and banana leaves with additives to produce molded fiber packaging.
SupraPulp is transformed into a new generation of highly functional food trays that can accommodate both frozen and heated foods. These molded-fiber containers are impervious to oil and water, eliminating the need for plastic lamination. Furthermore, SupraPulp trays can contain any type of frozen food without leakage, handling extreme temperature ranges from -40°C to 220°C, all while being compostable.
Nature’s answer
<p“Our ecological packaging formulations enable food packaging manufacturers to shift away from plastic PET materials, allowing them to create robust containers suitable for freezer-to-oven or microwave use,” enthuses Rome. “A significant advantage of using SupraPulp trays is that they can be disposed of guilt-free; within roughly 100 days, the material reverts back to the earth from which it originated.”
Plastic’s decomposition can take hundreds of years. According to the United Nations Environment Program, approximately 400 million tons of plastic waste are generated each year, with only a small fraction being recycled. The majority—95%—either ends up in landfills or is dumped into oceans, wreaking havoc on marine life and entering the human food chain.
W-Cycle’s SupraPulp containers are assisting catering companies, ready-meal producers, in-flight caterers, institutions, food take-away services, and multinational food companies in breaking free from plastic packaging. Alongside developing tailored pulp formulations for Melhoramentos, W-Cycle will also provide R&D support in molded fiber production, including testing various formulations and their compatibility with diverse fiber types sourced from Melhoramentos’ forest cultivation operations.
<p“W-Cycle, as pioneers in ecological food and drink packaging, brings extensive expertise in molded fiber properties, complementary materials, and their performance under different conditions,” adds Gibini. “This expertise will be instrumental in crafting food packaging options that are high-performing, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly.”
