Packaging is something we have taken for granted since shopping became a national sport. Whether it’s food packaging, clothing or that recent delivery of a fridge – with more packaging than fridge! Mountains of cardboard, meters of plastic and more concerningly, piles of polystyrene are mounting up. An estimated 8 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean annually and 42% of this comes from the packaging industry. Polystyrene is made from non-renewable, fossil fuels and hence it Is estimated to take 500 plus years to break down.
Australian sustainable packaging company, Planet Protector Packaging (PPP) manufacture recyclable, biodegradable and compostable insulated packaging and are in the race to become the market leader in sustainable thermal packaging that doesn’t harm the planet.
This is where the humble sheep comes into this story. Seriously.
“Innovation has always been our motto at Planet Protector Packaging, which has led us to scour the globe for an environmentally responsible solution with a perfect balance between innovation and sustainability. After years of research and development, we have found the answer right back home. It was here all the time! An award winning, insulation solution made from 100% sheep waste wool manufactured right here in Australia and New Zealand.”
Yep, wool waste.
Woolpack at its core, borrows from nature: just as wool keeps sheep warm in winter and cool in summer, so too does Woolpack technology for the contents of its boxes and pouches.
Woolpack technology is incredibly simple – Planet Protector Packaging engineered a proprietary blend of specific wool fibres which are felted and enclosed by a liner. These fibres are hygroscopic, which means they are very effective at absorbing moisture from the air. This helps minimise humidity and condensation and stabilise temperatures. The liner is microperforated so the wool can breathe and become a natural cooling system.
Just like sheep, temperature sensitive food, beverages and medicines can be kept cool in the hotter months and warm in the cooler months using the thermal properties of wool. Being able to hold a temperature of below 5°C for over 24 hours and between 2°C and 8°C for over 72 hours, PPP have been able to create industry-specific packaging in cartons and pouches that help sustainably and safely transport seafood, pharmaceuticals and wine.
Established in 2016 in response to the global plastic waste crisis, Planet Protector Packaging are on a mission to eliminate polystyrene from supply chains by replacing it with Woolpack.
“After being contracted to set up operations for Australia’s largest meal-kit company, I was horrified by the huge volume of wasteful, non-biodegradable polystyrene packaging. Polystyrene has been the ‘go-to’ for 60-plus years, but it’s destroying our planet” says Founder and CEO, Joanne Howarth.
Since their establishment, Planet Protector Packaging have successfully removed almost 7 million polystyrene boxes from supply chains – that’s the size of 40 Olympic sized swimming pools and over 100,000 cubic square metres of polystyrene that won’t end up in our oceans.
With such immense results, it’s no wonder they recently won the inaugural 2020 Ocean Impact Pitchfest – lead by the Ocean Impact Organisation – an award celebrating and supporting businesses positively impacting on the planet’s oceans and underpinning the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal Number 14 – Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean
“Winning is for us, an incredible honour as it supports us in our quest to eliminate polystyrene from our oceans and restore them to their abundant, flourishing state. At Planet Protector Packaging, we hero the humble sheep, who has become a secret weapon in defending our oceans from polystyrene.” Says Howarth, no stranger to achievements as she was also the first Australian ever to be named Laureate in the prestigious Cartier Women’s Initiative (South Asia and Oceania).
From meal kits, seafood, meat, cheese, chocolate and pharmaceuticals, Planet Protector Packaging work with iconic global brands including the likes of Blackmores, DHL and Baxter Pharmaceuticals as they work towards saving the planet, one package at a time. If you attended TEDxSydney 2020 Online this year, our scrumptious brekkie treats of Crumpets by Merna with Pepe Saya butter were kept fresh and tasty as they were transported all over Australia by the team at Planet Protector Packaging!
Driven to protect the planet and its oceans from plastic, Planet Protector Packaging are innovators in the global sustainable packaging space and are passionate about inspiring and educating others to make a positive impact where they can. You can find out more by visiting www.planetprotectorpackaging.com
