Palouse Fiber Packaging (PFP), a Washington State-based startup spearheading the research, development and production of a variety of low-impact alternative fiber packaging products, recently announced the public availability of their new 4-cup carriers, made using wheat straw pulp.
The wheat-based carriers are a new product not only for PFP but also for the broader alternative fiber industry. Rather than relying on the waning global supplies of milled wood or post-consumer recycled material (the first of which is often deceptively marketed as being “greener” than foam and other plastics), the carriers will be made using fiber from harvested wheat crops, which is locally sourced and utilized as a molding medium instead of being incinerated as agricultural waste.
Their availability comes before Washington State’s ban on all polystyrene take-out containers goes into effect on June 1 of this year and Oregon’s ban does the same in 2025. Among other foam products, the bans will include food containers, coolers, plates, and insulated beverage cups.
“This regulation in the Pacific Northwest is setting a new bar for food and beverage vendors nationwide,” said Kyler Lovgren, PFP CEO and Founder. “While exciting from an environmental perspective, it will likely leave many businesses struggling to find alternatives that are truly sustainable, durable and fully customizable. We're focused on using wheat and other fibers to solve that problem.”
The rollout of the new wheat-based solution also represents a milestone in PFP’s broader mission to collaborate with like-minded food and beverage vendors across the country to create tailored, compliant, locally sourced, durable solutions that suit their specific needs while avoiding the use of wood fiber. The program focuses on developing unique, branded wheat packaging options for both consumer and industrial partners, with a particularly keen intent on creating compliant solutions for markets with stringent industry regulations, including food, beverage, and consumer goods.
“As we see these regulations drive businesses away from plastics, many will be led to believe that wood fiber alternatives are a better choice for the environment, when really they can play a massive role in deforestation and forest degradation,” said Neva Murtha, Next Generation Issues Specialist at Canopy, an award-winning environmental not-for-profit organization dedicated to protecting the world’s forests and ecosystems. “Companies like PFP are at the forefront of innovation in non-wood pulp markets, offering quality, lower-impact alternatives to wood that empower businesses to do right by their regulators, shareholders, and our forests."
To explore a potential collaboration with Palouse Fiber Packaging to create a compliant, customized wheat-based packaging solution, visit palousefiberpackaging.com or contact the PFP development team at info@palousefiberpackaging.com.
About Palouse Fiber Packaging
PFP is at the forefront of alternative packaging innovation, offering customized, future-friendly molded fiber solutions to customers across a variety of industries. The company aims to collaborate with visionary businesses seeking to enhance their ecological footprint and market appeal.
About Canopy & Next Generation Solutions
Canopy protects the world’s forests, species, and climate by working hand in hand with companies from around the globe to transform unsustainable supply chains, catalyze innovative Next Generation Solutions, help advance frontline community rights, and conserve vital forest ecosystems all over the world.
