Quinoa launched in compostable pouches

San Francisco-based Alter Eco has selected Futamura’s NatureFlex packaging film for the compostable pouch used for the company’s organic and fair trade quinoas. The pouch meets ASTM D6400 standards for industrial composting and is made in large part from bio-based materials.

An alternative to traditional petroleum-based plastics, NatureFlex flexible packaging films are certified compostable, are made from GMO-free renewable resources and provide the high barrier needed for many food products.

Since its founding over a decade ago, Alter Eco has been a champion for sustainable practices, dedicated to full-circle sustainability throughout its operations and supply chain. It operates under four pillars: sourcing using fair trade principles; production of only organic and non-GMO foods; insetting carbon emissions by means of large-scale reforestation programs in the cooperatives that produce its crops; and creating minimal waste by working towards 100% compostable packaging.

The consumer demand for stand-up pouches is growing, with 24 billion pouches projected by 2018. Current pouches on the market are made with multiple layers of plastic, few of which are recyclable and none that are compostable or sustainable. Alter Eco’s new package design, which also features a compostable sealant layer, was dubbed Gone4Good because it goes back to where it came from when its useful life is over, safely and with zero waste.

“We’re thrilled to be at the forefront of eco-friendly packaging, and our new pouches give consumers a more sustainable option that doesn’t negatively impact our planet, all with the same convenience of existing food pouches. We’re hopeful that this necessary, good-for-the-planet innovation will encourage other brands to follow suit,” said Mathieu Senard, co-founder and co-CEO of Alter Eco.

Much of the work that went into developing the Gone4Good pouch was done in collaboration with OSC², a coalition of brands working together to change the face of packaging.