Back to the Future with Natural Polymers

December 3, 2024|Exclusive Features, Materials, Sustainable

The shift away from single-use plastic isn’t just a trend — it’s an imperative.

By Stanley Mitchell, Head of Business Development at Xampla

Companies like Xampla are deploying new processing techniques to turn natural polymers into high performance materials — without chemical modification of any kind. Image courtesy of Xampla.

Throughout human history, packaging has played a central role. Just as soon as people developed tools, we have been on the lookout for new materials to store, transport and preserve goods. Beginning with simple materials like animal skins and leaves, the need for more robust and high performing packaging can be seen as one of the drivers behind the spread of technologies like pottery, glass blowing, and the industrialization of paper manufacture.

From the amphora to the simple tin can, most of the last millennia has been about developing increasingly robust, long-lasting materials to package the crucial consumable products that underpin everyday life. Perhaps it’s no surprise then, that plastics have transformed the packaging landscape as dramatically as they have.

In just half a century since its widespread adoption, the amount of plastic produced has grown faster than that of any other material according to a recent United Nations report.¹ All quite understandable – to many, plastics seemed to be a true wonder material: light weight, easy to process and incredibly robust.

Ironically it is that resilience that is to blame for the plastic crisis. Unlike any other packaging material in history, oil-derived plastics represent a fundamentally novel material, one which simply doesn’t exist in nature and which the biosphere cannot break down. While packaging’s greatest challenge was once making materials that could last, with plastics we now have the opposite challenge – how to make our packaging disappear once we are done with it.

Packaging’s Greatest Challenge

By all accounts that’s a challenge we seem to be struggling with. Globally we produce more than 400 million tonnes of plastic a year — up to 36% of all plastic produced are used in packaging, including single-use food and beverage containers according to the United Nations Environment Programme.2 Even worse, the UN reports 85% of these containers end up in landfills or as unregulated waste. According the report, about 10% of plastic waste is recycled globally, while the remainder is burned, dumped or improperly disposed, polluting our environment for centuries to come.

Thankfully, the world seems to be waking up to the scale of this environmental challenge. Governments across the globe are introducing regulations to reduce plastic waste according to the Plastic Pollution Coalition.³ And consumers are increasingly considering the impact of plastic on the environment according to a study by Trivium Packaging.⁴ Research conducted by TIPA Compostable Packaging in 2024 found that 84% of global consumers say they want ‘unnecessary, avoidable and harmful’ single-use plastics to be banned worldwide.5

Natural polymers, combined with novel materials technology, are entering a new era. Image courtesy of Xampla.

Packaging of the Future

As the industry shifts how it thinks about packaging and end of life, we find ourselves looking back to some of the oldest natural materials, combined with novel technology, to create the packaging of the future.

The most exciting area of development is in natural polymers — a broad category of materials produced by living organisms, and which form the very fabric of the world around us. From plant proteins (found in crops like green peas and soybeans), to polysaccharides and starches, as well as animal derived materials, natural polymers are an incredibly diverse range of functional materials that modern science is just beginning to explore the potential of.

Until recently, natural polymers have had two major drawbacks: processability and performance. Many companies have attempted to address this through the conversion of natural polymers into chemically modified bioplastics.

However, despite being billed as a green and biodegradable packaging alternative, bioplastics often require specific end of life treatment to accelerate their breakdown. This means that when these materials are not industrially composted, they are likely to end up being burned or worse – leaching into our natural environment, where they break down into microplastics.

Novel material technology is already being deployed at scale to produce a range of materials (under the brand name Morro) to eliminate plastic from paperboard takeaway boxes, single-use sachets, dishwasher tablets and laundry pods and microplastics in fragrances. Image courtesy of Xampla.

Novel Materials Technology

But natural polymers, combined with novel materials technology, are entering a new era. Companies are deploying new processing techniques to turn natural polymers into high performance materials — without chemical modification of any kind.

Following 15 years of research at the University of Cambridge, this technology is already being deployed at scale to produce a range of materials to eliminate plastic from paperboard takeaway boxes, single-use sachets, dishwasher tablets and laundry pods and microplastics in fragrances. Made from natural plant polymers, these materials can be used to create innovative formats that safely protect and deliver ingredients to consumers, without harming the planet.

The technology has been developed alongside industry partners as a drop-in solution, offering a natural polymer material that can be processed on the same equipment as the traditional plastics it replaces. This ability to work with the existing packaging supply chain is crucial to achieving a cost-effective solution to the plastics crisis, while building a genuine pathway toward a circular economy.

Demand for Sustainable Packaging

As consumer demand for sustainable products continues to grow, brands that embrace natural polymers now will have a competitive edge in the market. Major companies like Unilever, Nestlé and Danone have already pledged to make their packaging recyclable, reusable, or compostable by 2025, signalling a broader industry shift.

Natural polymers offer an exciting opportunity to rethink packaging. By investing in these materials, brands can not only reduce their reliance on single-use plastics but also differentiate themselves as leaders in sustainability. With the right strategy, brands can help drive the packaging industry toward a more circular and environmentally friendly future.

The shift away from single-use plastic isn’t just a trend — it’s an imperative. Natural polymers are one of the most promising solutions to help brands make single-use plastic a relic of the past.