Z1RO has announced that industrial trials have been completed for its materials on automated wet moulded fibre equipment at Kiefel in Germany, incorporating materials such as bamboo, hemp and fallen leaves into coffee lids and trays.
The trials were held to determine whether non-wood fibres can run on existing industry equipment. Z1RO says trays offer a starting point for protective and presentation packaging in cosmetics, consumer electronics and premium gifting, while coffee lids provide opportunities in everyday foodservice packaging.
Company founder Alexander Sobolenko states that Z1RO aims to make locally available biomass a valuable resource for packaging, giving brands more choice in materials and design. Michael Seeboeck, product manager at Kiefel, adds:
“New fibres only become packaging once they run on industrial equipment, and that is exactly what our Customer Innovation Center in Freilassing, Germany, is there to test. On the Kiefel NATUREFORMER KFT Lab, the finished parts showed clear visual and tactile differences between Z1RO’s three feedstocks. Trials like these are part of how we continuously expand the range of natural fibers our machines can process, moving non-wood molded fiber packaging from the lab toward series production.”
Z1RO is raising €500,000 to support industrial scale-up and the development of commercial packaging projects, and invites brands and packaging manufacturers to explore joint development opportunities.
In related news, earlier this year we reported on Papyrus Australia’s proprietary technology to convert banana plantation waste into pulp for use in food containers, trays, protective packaging, and more. The company hopes to accelerate the adoption of banana fibre-based materials through working directly alongside growers, manufacturers and converters.
RDM Group’s Eska joined forces with Releaf Paper last month to launch Eska Leaf, a recycled solid board made from fallen leaves, as a luxury packaging solution. The new board is designed to combine sustainability and personalization in a recycled carton format while helping to reduce pressure on forests.
