Packaging from Agro-Waste
© Arekapak
During their semester abroad in India, Nicole Plock and Alexandra Matthies learned about the beauty of the country and its people, but also about India’s struggle with waste management. Inspired by the leaves of the areca palm plant, used in India and elsewhere for its fruit, the batelnut, Plock and Matthies founded Arekapak, which develops sustainable packaging design.
“There are billions of leaves available every year, which are often burned by the farmers as agro-waste,” Alexandra Matthies told mindbodygreen in an interview.
The areca leaf is compostable and can be processed with little water and energy input and without chemical additives. Arekapak’s containers are water- resistant for a certain amount of time due to the naturally waxed surface of the material and offer both functional and aesthetic alternatives to the materials we are familiar with. The palm leaf packaging is durable, reusable, oven- and microwave-proof, and completely backyard compostable within ninety days. The founders envision their use across the catering and grocery sectors as an alternative to plastic shells that hold fruits and veggies.
“With our project we would like to find solutions for more sustainable consumption for our modern, global world and from which people and the environment will benefit,” said Matthies.