Ballarat lab working on biodegradable food packaging
We all love our fresh Aussie produce, but there's less to like about all the soft plastic packaging it's often sold in. Now, a regional team of scientists is trialling new types of sustainable packaging, that could both keep the plastic to a minimum, and ensure less food ends up in landfill.
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00:00 Kim Martin farms the leafy greens that go into salads across Australia.
00:07 This is how they harvest it. Cut through there.
00:12 Due to the delicate nature of the produce, packaging is vital to safeguard it from damage and extend shelf life.
00:19 But Kim says he's noticing growing discontent among consumers around what is being used as wrapping.
00:27 We often get the rubber bands and the tags returned, mailed back to us from the customers saying could you please find alternate packaging.
00:36 The answer to that request could come from inside a Ballarat laboratory.
00:42 Scientist Dylan Liu is trialling nanocellulose technology to create biodegradable food packaging.
00:49 We're creating this material by using food waste and that way we're going to have a sustainable material for packaging.
00:58 Tiny cellulose fibres are taken from food waste, then transformed into a sturdy film.
01:05 The material itself has a lot of applications. For example it can be used in packaging, it can be used in biomedical area.
01:13 The lab trials are almost complete and they're now looking to start a pilot study with the hopes that businesses could start using this plastic packaging over the next couple of years.
01:22 The biodegradable film coming from food waste, very circular but that's where we've got to head.
01:28 Dr Liu's research team has also developed a label that changes colour as food decomposes, potentially helping businesses and families keep food out of landfill.
01:40 When we see all these changes we know the food is not good to use or is close to the use by date.
01:48 It's hoped these homegrown ideas will be a step towards reducing the mountains of food waste produced in Australia each year.
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