Alterpacks converts meals grains into bio-degradable containers to fight single-use plastics

Throughout her travels, Karen Cheah witnessed individuals choking beneath the burden of meals waste and litter from plastic containers. She sniffed a multi-million alternative there.

“I sensed that we may create meals containers from this rubbish that would substitute plastic disposables. This fashion, we are able to include this throw-away tradition that has turn into ubiquitous with plastics,” Cheah tells e27.

This was the genesis of Alterpacks.

Established in 2019, Singapore-based Alterpacks was created to fight the issue of single-use plastics.

The workforce has over 20 years of complementary skillsets in advertising and marketing, finance, manufacturing and R&D with world expertise. The founding workforce members Cheah (CEO) and Herbin Chia (CFO) have been classmates at Singapore Administration College, and Steven Tan (COO) joined them after a distinguished profession within the Singapore Navy.

Additionally Learn: Bio-degradable meals container startup Alterpacks raises US$1M funding

The greentech startup converts meals grains into containers that may be moulded into any form. Thus, it upcycles meals loss in manufacturing to create a biodegradable and home-compostable materials. Cheah claims that Alterpacks containers are 100 per cent natural.

Alterpacks works with F&B companies, converters, and producers to create tailored, sustainable packaging options.

Final 12 months, the corporate piloted its meals containers on the Motor GP Occasion in Mandalika, Indonesia. It additionally collaborated with the UN Growth Programme to fight plastic air pollution in Indonesia.

In Vietnam, Alterpacks piloted its eco-friendly merchandise with the favored F&B model Pizza 4P’s.

Along with bio-degradable containers, the startup additionally creates bio-pellets to interchange petroleum-based resins utilized in customary manufacturing machines and modifications the uncooked materials with different types of agricultural waste. It has additionally began the manufacturing of varied cutlery, together with espresso cups and cup covers.

Alterpacks merchandise are priced competitively in opposition to different related environmentally pleasant options. “We goal a value level on par with petroleum-based merchandise.”

Whereas there are inflexible meals containers, different eco-friendly options, and bio-plastics, the mass utilization of such merchandise is but to choose up the tempo. Their mass pickup primarily will depend on the value and efficiency of the merchandise.

“Eco-containers compete with plastics which have had a head-start of over 100 years in manufacturing processes and economies of scale. Furthermore, the present eco-containers out there have been challenged with dents and leaks,” Cheah shares.

“What units Alterpacks aside from opponents is the efficiency of our materials made utilizing facet streams from meals manufacturing. We create merchandise that meet the efficiency specs of enterprise at a aggressive value level,” she provides.

Additionally Learn: How all-electric, self-driving Clearbot helps deal with ocean plastic air pollution in Asia

When it comes to efficiency, Alterpacks containers can go from freezer to microwave, maintain moist and oily meals, and maintain their form and kind. “Addressing the value factors and efficiency expectations are the 2 areas for the mass take-up. As a result of our containers are additionally home-compostable, they’ve turn into the go-to different in nations which have already began taking a look at banning the usage of virgin pulp and plastic coatings in paper merchandise as nicely.”

In her view, authorities laws and rising client consciousness about eco-alternatives may take bio-degradable merchandise to the following degree.

Final week, Alterpacks closed its US$1 million pre-seed funding spherical with lead investor Plug and Play APAC and co-investors SEEDS Capital and Earth Enterprise Capital. The corporate will use the cash to ramp up manufacturing and provide throughout key markets in Asia, Australia, and Europe.

“Like all startups, this spherical is barely the start. So we’ll transfer forward with a seed Spherical as we scale up our manufacturing and R&D. That is already within the works,” she says.

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