Cargill Dow’s innovative line of 100% corn-based bioplastic “NatureWorks Packaging” is now being used by a number of food companies to package fresh produce and salads. Dow Chemicals, a partner in the Cargill Dow company, has a questionable environmental and ethical track record. However, the Natureworks product is making breakthroughs for bioplastic into the food packaging marketplace.
Del Monte Fresh Produce is converting from PET containers to NatureWorks PLA packaging for fresh-cut pineapple, melons and fruit & vegetable medleys.
Newman’s Own Organics will offer several organic salad varieties in two-piece, rigid tubs made from NatureWorks PLA.
Club Fresh is using NatureWorks PLA for cut melon, fruit mixes & diced vegetables.
Other companies are using Natureworks PLA to pack fresh fruit: Pac Organic is packaging organic cherries, and organic apples packed in NatureWorks PLA clamshells are now in a leading U.S. grocery chain.
New York City’s Columbia University is using NatureWorks packaging at its campus dining halls for salads, sandwiches and other “to-go” items.
You can purchase Natureworks PLA directly from the Brenmar Company. Packaging solutions using NatureWorks PLA are also available from Clear Lam Thermoforming, Intec Alliance, PPi/Berkley and Basket Ease.
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This is exciting — but it’ll be more exciting when the corn harvested to make the plastic is grown organically. Until then, this is just a chemical company finding ways of keeping farmers addicted to large-scale, chemically intensive farming.
We agree that organically raised corn would have to be used to make this product truly environmentally sound, and yes we do have concerns about the ethics the Dow Chemical company (see this article or this website for example [not all the opinions expressed on these pages are our own]).
However we feel that Cargill Dow’s bioplastic is worth highlighting because it may open doors for other manufacturers’ bioplastics, and may raise the public’s awareness of bioplastic in general.
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If they would just separate out corn to a facility that takes only GMO-free corn and use that to make their packaging, organic food manufacturers would feel that they can ethically purchase the containers. This would be a huge, untapped market for Cargill and they should pursue it by finding at least one facility that only processes GMO-free corn.
I work at UofMich and we order tons of lunches from different restaurants around town. I HATE to throw away the big plastic catering trays w/lids. at least 4 every day just in our department alone.
If there is an alternative I want to help market it! Can you team up with one local restaraunt and see if we can make a difference?????