Arekapak

Arekapak takeaway food packaging / Source: Arekapak

ArekapakAsiaBeautyCelluloseCompostableEuropeFood & BeverageFood GradeFreezer SafeHeat ResistantLeak ProofLightweightMicrowave SafeOven SafePackagingRegenerativeRigidTemperature-ResistantWater Repellent

WHAT WE SAY:

Before the industrial revolution, human civilisations maintained a symbiotic relationship with nature, deploying organic resources and returning them in a manner that honoured the natural order. Waste simply wasn't part of their way of life.

Arekapak is a concept that pays homage to that principle. Inspired by traditional uses of materials native to India, this packaging range remodels leftover areca palm leaves into aesthetic containers for food and beauty products. It can be composted at the end of its life, feeding nutrients back into the soil without leaving polluting footprints. The German-Indian team behind this renewable alternative still has a point to prove when it comes to scalability, but the proposition is exactly the kind of paradigm shift we need.

Arekapak

WHAT IS AREKAPAK?

Conceived by a Berlin-based startup of the same name, Arekapak is a sturdy and versatile packaging range made from areca palm leaves. "Designed in Europe, manufactured in India", this packaging solution is a marriage of two cultures, crafting a visually distinctive product that seeks to displace its plastic equivalents.
The areca palm, also known as the betel palm, has been cultivated for centuries for its fruit in Southeast Asia. Its leaf, or sheath, is an agricultural by-product, which typically falls from the palm. The sheath is a thin, sheet-like, and highly formable fibrous material, mainly made up of Cellulose and lignin, and can grow from one to two metres in length.
The Indian branch of Arekapak's operations gathers the fallen leaves, taking them to a nearby factory where they are cleaned with water and left to dry under the sun. They are then shaped using a hydraulic pressing method using only heat and pressure, which involves no chemical modifications to the raw material. Finally, the moulded units go through sorting, polishing, and UV sterilisation to achieve the finishing touches. The production process is done entirely in India by local labourers.
The design uses 100% sheath material and contains no synthetic additives, making the packaging fully compostable. It can be returned to nature without leaching toxins, becoming soil in just 60 days.
Areca palm leaves are inherently water resistant, meaning that Arekapak is liquid-proof for several hours and is suitable for frozen goods without the need for additional coatings, which are often plastic-based and leave toxic residues. It is also microwaveable and oven-proof, withstanding temperatures of up to 200 degrees celsius.
The collection includes boxes in four sizes, ranging from 250 to 900 millilitres, and come with lockable lids that slot into place. The range also features two plates. Dimensions and weights come with some variation due to the raw nature of the material, as well as unique grains which add an unrefined aesthetic.
Arekapak offers an individual brand design service to differentiate clients' products, supplying banderoles or stickers to complement the packaging.
The containers are ideal for storing dried foods such as nuts, small-particle fruits, and vegetables, as well as non-food items like waterless soap and shampoo bars. Arekapak can also be used as takeaway trays to serve fresh meals and snacks for on-the-go consumption. The structural integrity of the packaging performs a protective function in the transportation of goods.
Arekapak is in the process of launching a B2B online shop which will make its product catalogue commercially available. Until then, the company currently welcomes inquiries and is ready to take bespoke orders through its website.

KEY PROPERTIES:

Compostable
Food Grade
Freezer Safe
Heat Resistant
Leak Proof
Lightweight
Microwave Safe
Oven Safe
Regenerative
Rigid
Temperature-Resistant
Water Repellent

INDUSTRY:

Beauty
Food & Beverage
Packaging

AVAILABILITY:

Limited Orders

DIVE DEEPER:

Countries across the world are now under mounting pressure to introduce legislation to ban single-use plastic packaging – the UK is the latest to do so, with the law coming into effect in October 2023, albeit it could go much further. The rapid evolution of the policy landscape is having knock-on effects on the packaging sector, bolstering demand from businesses for sustainable packaging alternatives.
Single-use plastic food containers and cutlery are the third most common type of litter found in our oceans. And in light of emerging scientific studies suggesting that the chemicals found in plastic food packaging are having a detrimental impact on human health, particularly our fertility, alternative materials like Arekapak are desperately needed.
Its wood-like aesthetic and multi-functional applications make Arekapak a compelling proposition. It repurposes agricultural waste, requires minimal water and energy consumption in its production model, and doesn't need chemical substances or plastic-based additives for functionality. Instead, the design relies on the inherent properties of areca palm leaves.
The areca palm, or Areca catechu as it is known in Latin, has been cultivated for almost 2,000 years across India and Southeast Asia. It is primarily grown for its fruit – the areca or betel nut – but each palm also sheds five to six leaves every year, regarded as an agricultural waste material. It is estimated that around one billion leaves are available in India alone every year.
An LCA published in 2019 by a team of Portuguese engineering and environmental researchers evaluated the potential utility of replacing disposable plastic containers with areca palm sheath alternatives. It found that it not only had lower environmental impacts, but its adoption would open up an additional income stream for the local populace in southern India.
During their time in India, Arekapak's founders were particularly impressed by the way rural communities used areca palm leaves to make disposable bowls and plates in which to serve food. This paved the way for their bachelor's thesis, where they had to design a food packaging prototype made from a natural material, moulding the leaves themselves and baking the prototype in an oven at home.
Due to the untreated nature of the packaging, the company offers specific application notes within its product catalogue stating that Arekapak is recommended for "dry foods and individually tested products". It can store moist and greasy foods for up to 30 minutes, however, since the palm leaf is a naturally moisture-absorbent material, its stability may be compromised by such foods under longer storage times. As a result, it is best used for takeaway foods that are consumed immediately (in food halls and market settings) and on-the-go lunch boxes.
The packaging can withstand temperatures of up to 200 degrees celsius, and although it will see some discolouration after 30 minutes in an oven, the founders claim that you can use their plates and trays to "roast vegetables and even bake a cake in it".
Arekapak holds food-grade certification in accordance with EU Regulation No. 1935/2004. It biodegrades in 60 days according to the company, which recommends disposing of the packaging in the organic waste stream.
Arekapak has stated that it wants to conduct further research to develop a plastic-free sealing solution that would make the packaging completely airtight (which it currently isn't) to expand its applications.

Gathered areca palm leaves / Source: Arekapak

Arekapak container with lockable lid / Source: Arekapak

KEY FACTS:

1bn

areca palm leaves are available in India alone each year

60 days

Arekapak is compostable, becoming soil in just 60 days

2m

Areca palm leaves can grow up to two metres in length

Key Questions to Ask:

Is Arekapak a viable mass-market solution?

Given that Arekapak is a single-use packaging product handmade in India with no automated mechanical production process, it is unclear if the startup will be able to meet potential mass-market demand. Furthermore, the raw material used is dependent on areca palms shedding their leaves – a natural, seasonal event that can't be manipulated, and to keep it ethical and truly sustainable, this will have to remain so. Is there enough material to ensure a steady, year-round supply? If not, it might be worth exploring alternative feedstocks to safeguard your supply chain. Or, you could adopt it periodically for product launches or limited edition collections.

How much water is needed to clean the leaves?

Arekapak states that "little water" is used in the cleaning process, but how much water is actually consumed? The company doesn't offer any data to verify its claims on environmental sustainability, but you should interrogate this further to avoid accusations of greenwashing.

Are there packaging alternatives that can be locally sourced?

While the Arekapak concept is certainly compelling – diverting agricultural waste from being burned, economically supporting rural communities in India, and creating a packaging product that nourishes the soil at the end of its lifecycle – the fact remains that Arekapak is sourced, produced, and shipped from India. Depending on your regional market, this may not be the most sustainable choice. Are there packaging alternatives that perform similarly yet can be sourced locally, minimising carbon emissions from transportation? For example, if you're based in the UK, Notpla Rigid makes more sense – it's made from seaweed which is native to and abundant in the region, and it also biodegrades naturally into soil nutrients, just like Arekapak. Likewise, look to Evanesce Moulded Starch if you operate in the US.

Is composting accessible to your customers?

The fact that a material is inherently compostable isn't enough to guarantee that it will be composted or that it will be disposed of correctly to ensure it reaches an industrial composting facility. Home composting isn't necessarily as easy as it may sound either – it requires adequate garden space or a compost bin, and for a material to be added to a compost heap requires some basic know-how. Unless these factors are considered, chances are that the packaging will end up in landfill somewhere, exacerbating our packaging waste problem. Take inspiration from Great Wrap, which has set up an in-house Impact Team to educate the community about composting.

Does the areca palm leaf have long-term applications?

The world needs to move away from single-use models. The process that Arekapak has systemised appears to be very labour-intensive, time-consuming, and geographically vast for a product that is going to be used once and then thrown away. Is this the best use of a raw material that's not only abundant but functionally and aesthetically versatile – surely it can be transformed into longer lasting commodities? Greenie does just that. An Indonesian social enterprise, it turns areca palm leaves into furniture and other household items such as tableware, offering a cheaper and more sustainable alternative to Wood-based furniture. While Arekapak is undoubtedly a significant improvement on the convention of single-use plastic packaging, we think areca palm leaves could be put to better and more permanent use.