Zume Inc., a sustainability solutions company creating economically viable substitutes for plastic packaging, announced the ongoing scale and scope of its molded fiber manufacturing technology business — including 25+ partnerships across 21 countries and several new deals that bring sustainable manufacturing to North America and Southeast Asia.
Founded on changing the unsustainability in the food supply chain, Zume aims to replace single-use plastic, a $320B a year industry, with a single tech stack that offers global food brands the hardware, software and services to transition away from plastic without disrupting manufacturing processes or the bottom line.
“The roster of companies that have made sustainability commitments is long and growing, but there hasn’t been a viable way to move away from plastic,” says Alex Garden, Zume Inc. CEO. “We are proud to use our expertise in complex machinery and material science to create a durable solution that performs like plastic without the environmental harms of plastic.”
Accelerating Zume’s Globally Distributed Sustainable Manufacturing Capacity
Zume, which already operates a 70,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Camarillo, California, is expanding the use of its patented molded fiber manufacturing technology to Texas and India through the following deals:
- Jefferson Enterprise Energy, an industry-first deal that brings sustainable manufacturing and molded fiber production to Texas. Powered by Jefferson’s nearby biomass energy plant, the new manufacturing facility in Lufkin, Texas will rely on Zume’s patented molded fiber manufacturing equipment system and technology to present the world’s first entirely renewable energy-powered manufacturing facility. The raw materials for the facility will be sourced from currently unused farming by-products, creating an entirely closed-loop system that will produce 100% compostable molded fiber products for food brands.
- Parason, a deal that brings the most advanced molded-fiber manufacturing facility to Asia. As a leading pulp and paper industry supplier based in India, Parason sought out Zume to meet demand and support the Prime Minister’s call to end the use of single-use plastics by 2022 in India. Parason is constructing a greenfield factory where Zume’s manufacturing technology will be deployed. With this deal, Parason joins a network of Zume manufacturing partners around the globe, expanding the availability and market share of Zume sustainable goods that replace plastics and styrofoam.
- Satia Industries, a deal that will deploy more than 2,000 tons of self-sealing, sustainable molded-fiber products to be manufactured and marketed in India. Satia Industries plans to enhance its expertise and expand its product offering by providing customized molded fiber packaging solutions across multiple industries such as food, consumer packaged goods, electronics, cosmetics, healthcare and pharma products.
Zume offers flexible robotics, rapid prototyping and other software and hardware solutions that enable molded fiber products. The company debuted a new line of compostable molded-fiber bowls, meal boxes, 3-compartment trays and cups that are among the first in its class to provide an anti-leak solution with a corresponding snap-fit lid to prevent spills. Zume recently earned “Silver Winner” accolades from the 2021 MUSE Design Awards in the Sustainable Packaging Design category.
Visit www.zume.com for more information.
