STRIVING FOR
SUSTAINABILITY
People, planet and profit in equal balance. That’s what the
folks at Ecoware believe is key to sustainability.
PA C K A G I N G
New Testing Facility
Improves Certainty
Not all packaging machinery is suitable for all products
so pre-purchase testing can be vital.
To ensure your peace of mind Wedderburn now have
a testing facility designed to help prove that the
equipment and handling methods we’re proposing
work for your unique production needs.
It shows you first hand that the proposed system will
do exactly what we’re promising.
In one customer’s words;
“It has 100% been the
right thing to do”
For the full article visit
www.wedderburn.co.nz
WEDDERBURN AUTOMATED
WEIGH PACKAGING SYSTEMS
Customised & Supported throughout New Zealand
Whether you’re planning a new processing plant or updating an existing one,
Wedderburn have people throughout New Zealand and exceptional systems
engineered to improve productivity and profitability.
Automated Weigh Packaging & Labelling Solutions
9 Linear and Multihead Weighers
9 Pre-made Pouch & Bag Filling Machines
9 Vertical Form Fill & Seal (VFFS) Machines
9 Powder Fillers
9 Infeed and Outfeed Conveyor Systems
9 In-Line Checkweighers
9 Metal Detection Inspection Systems
9 In-Line Labellers
9 Real-time Production Management Software
9 Productivity Reporting
Sales & Service Centres Nationwide
9 Initial Consultation and System Design
9 Delivery, Installation & On-Site Training
9 Technical Support & Maintenance
Call today for your FREE System Planning Guide
for more information visit
www.wedderburn.co.nz
enquiries@wedderburn.co.nz
call us 0800 933 349
FTR519
As a company, Ecoware has spent 10
years researching and developing
plant-based alternative materials
and more sustainable options for the
single-use packaging industry. Currently they produce
a range of food and beverage packaging made from
bamboo, corn, beet and cassava to name just a few.
“We came about to reduce the plastic in the industry
and replace as much traditional plastic made from
petro-chemicals or nonrenewable resources,” says
Kristy Wilson, Ecoware’s marketing manager and
sustainability leader.
“We wanted to switch out that type of non-renewable
plastic with packaging made from plants.”
They also use bio plastics which, although it is
technically still a plastic, is made from a renewable
resource and supplied by an American company
called Natureworks.
“Our plant plastic is amazing, and we prefer to use
Ingeo bio plastic which is a reputable brand of bio
plastic. They use mostly corn, but other starch as well
and a few root vegetables like beet and cassava,”
Kristy says.
“They extract the glucose from the vegetables and
then they extract the lactic acid from it by the process
of hydrolysis. Lactic acid is a building block for so
many things and that’s what we turn into PLA. Then
it’s transported in tiny pallets and because it’s a
thermo plastic it just needs heat to be molded into
many different forms of packaging.”
This is used to make Ecoware cutlery, straws and the
lids for coffee cups from as well as a very thin coating
inside the coffee cups.
“The good thing is that it is certified commercially
compostable, so it’s made from plants and designed
and manufactured to be turned back into soil and go
back into the ground,” says Kristy.
“Because we are trying to be as sustainable as
possible, it’s really important we source responsibly.
Most of our paper is Forest Stewardship Council
(FSC® C142978) certified. We try to back up our
products with certification where we can. It’s not
enough for us just to source paper and plant material.
We make sure the materials are responsibly sourced
as well.”
It’s equally as important for Ecoware to be transparent
about the sustainability measures being taken
and Kristy hopes this sets a precedent for their
consumers, customers and the industry.
“Everybody needs to be honest with how they are
tracking. Sustainability is a journey. We are never
going to have a destination, an end point. It’s always
going to be changing, and evolving and improving.
“We wanted to be leaders in the market and put our
sustainability before everything else so we highlight
where we are at, our strengths and weaknesses
and all our goals so that we not only keep ourselves
accountable, but we set an example and hope that
our competitors and our customers do the same too.”
Most of Ecoware’s products are manufactured in Asia
using cutting edge technology and non-toxic, soy or
water-based inks.
However, not only was it important for Ecoware to
supply products that were sustainable, they also
needed to be fit for purpose. Kristy says, in order to
attract people to make sustainable decisions, the
products need to be as good or even better than
traditional single use packaging.
“We didn’t want to just make products made from
plants that are compostable and eco-friendly. They
actually need to perform just as well if not better.
“The main message I’m trying to share with all our
customers is to think how you can make changes so
we can find and maintain that balance. So, we can
maintain the harmony between planet, people and
profit. That is a sustainable world.”
To read the extended version of this article see our
digital edition.
www.foodtechnology.co.nz 39
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