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Using Evanesce Packaging Solutions' patented technology to bake dough made of starch, fiber and a small amount of other materials into compostable packaging, it is a breakthrough formula for sustainable packaging.

The company's founder, Douglas Horne, was an elected government official in British Columbia, Canada when he was exposed to the technology. It profoundly changed his perception of packaging and prompted Horn to change his career.

"At the time, I felt that we should ban expanded polystyrene (EPS) packaging because it was an elegant alternative solution," he said. "This technology is amazing. I left politics to get it, and then there are many good people around me who bring it to the commercial level. As a regulator, one thing I have always worried about is that many are considered sustainable Is not the case with the product. This is."

Horne said the packaging is a molded starch and fiber product, which is very different from any other product, including thermoformed fiber products. "It looks and feels like a traditional thermoformed plastic tray."

The word evasce means to disappear. "This defines the company and our products: Evanesce Molded Starch technology is the essence of our work," he explained.

We used this technology as a highlight provided by Horne in a recent interview.

Brands, retailers and consumers are looking for more sustainable options at more competitive prices.

"EPS and other plastics perform so well in the market because they are inexpensive, versatile, and can be made into many shapes and forms," ​​Horn said. "Our products are comparable, but due to value-added attributes, the cost may be slightly higher."

The dough is made of a blend of 60% starch, 35% fiber, and 5% other ingredients, which Horn said is the "secret recipe" that makes this work work.

He said that the cost of this mixture is very low, because starch is much cheaper than fiber.

"Another exciting aspect of this technology is that starch and fiber do not have to come from a specific source," Horne revealed. "These ingredients are a variable supply and demand factor that can further reduce costs by using the cheapest available fiber source."

Summary of specific recipe options:

The technology uses standard food processing equipment. "We are adopting technology that has existed for many years and adapting it to use different doughs to make packaging," Horne said. "The dough is formed into trays or other packaging shapes through the'waffle iron' type forming system, using the same tried-and-tested machines used to make Twix candy bars, biscuits and other foods. We have a mechanized batch process that uses Buhler’s equipment produces hundreds of items at a time, which are then baked in an oven."

"The energy required in the production process is similar to the thermoforming process," Horn said. "We use an evolving heat recovery system in the roasting process. Our environmental footprint is kept to a minimum."

There is one difference. "Because of the way it is made, one of the unique features of the packaging is that it has a round shape at the bottom," he pointed out. "This helps distinguish our compostable products from other types of packaging in municipal waste treatment facilities."

Looking at composting from a regulator’s perspective, Horne suggested that “we may not want everyone to have compost in the backyard.”

He believes that with the popularity of corn-based polylactic acid (PLA) and other compostable biopolymers and the continued development of the circular economy, there will be more industrial composting infrastructure in the coming months.

"For our molded starch products, this means a real'dirt-to-dirt' cycle," he added.

"We have also been working with partners to develop coating systems," Horne said. "For those who need a longer oxygen barrier, we have worked with several partners and this is how we started with biopolymers. According to requirements, we can coat, laminate or add barriers as raw materials."

The company has already formed many different products.

“The exciting one we are now entering is a deeper product: it looks like a cup made of EPS,” Horn revealed. "These cups provide insulation for the food service market."

"I don't think any FPI member is a competitor," Horne said. "I see them as future partners, and I think we can achieve growth by licensing our technology and getting widespread adoption as soon as possible." He is in discussions with a major food service packaging supplier who is very interested.

The research and development department is located in Vienna, Austria. However, Horn emphasized that having manufacturing capabilities in the United States is crucial. "After we upgrade to our full-size machines to produce millions of units next spring, we will switch to new molded starch production in early 2022."

Evanesce Packaging offers another highly sustainable product: the first batch of biodegradable straws made of modified polylactic acid​​ (PLA), which are equivalent to or cheaper than paper straws, significantly improved Durability, and completed home composting within 90 days. The company's plant in South Carolina will be able to produce millions of straws per day.

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