Bagasse

Agraloop BioFibreBagasseBeautyCompostableEvanesce Molded StarchFlexibleFood & BeverageFood GradeFreezer SafeHeat ResistantLeak ProofLightweightLow-CarbonMicrowave SafeMoisture BarrierMoulded FibreOil ResistantOven SafePackagingPapacks Fiber BottlePaperRecyclableRefibrTextilesWater Repellent

WHAT WE SAY:

A plastic-free material made from the by-product of another industry is a double win in our eyes. Bagasse – a material left behind after sugarcane production – is a wonderfully versatile raw ‘ingredient’ that has uses across packaging and construction.

Where it’s making the most impact, however, is within the food services market, where it’s rapidly become a replacement for polystyrene takeaway containers. Heat, grease and oil resistant, this surprisingly sturdy fibre can be formed into moulded pulp and pressed into a wide range of shapes. Its potential stretches far beyond that of greasy food, however, with luxury brands now replacing plastic with this renewable feedstock that offers a textural, matte finish. Our only caveat is that the local sourcing of bagasse is key – shipping it thousands of miles makes little carbon sense.

Dried bagasse pile / Source: Shutterstock

WHAT IS BAGASSE?

Bagasse is a by-product of the agricultural sugarcane industry. A heterogeneous fibrous residue, it is left behind after sugarcane stalks are crushed for sugar extraction.
According to Science Direct, “from processing 100 tons of sugarcane, 30-34 tons of bagasse is created.” By weight, this equates to roughly 30% (or hundreds of millions of tons per year) of the sugarcane production process resulting in bagasse, making it a highly abundant raw material. Sugarcane can be grown in six months, compared to an average of seven years for Paper trees. This makes it a rapidly renewable feedstock resource too.
Dry bagasse is said to consist of 45% Cellulose, 28% hemicellulose, 20% lignin, 5% sugar, 1% minerals and 2% ash. Its high cellulose content means, when processed, bagasse looks and feels a lot like paper, and is often white in colour. In fact, many countries in the Global South use bagasse instead of wood in the production of pulp, paper and board. According to Verive, its natural colour means it requires less bleaching to create bright white paper compared to wood pulp-based paper.
Previously left to rot, bagasse is now utilised as a biofuel thanks to its high moisture content, and can also be transformed into lightweight, pulp-based packaging known as Moulded Fibre – a tree-free alternative to paper and cardboard. Moulded fibre is becoming a sought-after packaging solution for the food services industry thanks to its grease, water and heat-resistant qualities – up to 120℃. It can also be put in the microwave and the freezer.
Bagasse is fully biodegradable and compostable. According to BioPak, bagasse breaks down within 30-90 days under commercial composting conditions. Untreated bagasse products can be home composted, and will break down into nutrient-rich compost that can be used as fertiliser and soil conditioner. Most food packaging bagasse is treated, however, and needs a separate waste stream to standard kerbside recycling facilities in order to end up at an industrial composting facility.

KEY PROPERTIES:

Compostable
Flexible
Food Grade
Freezer Safe
Heat Resistant
Leak Proof
Lightweight
Low-Carbon
Microwave Safe
Moisture Barrier
Oil Resistant
Oven Safe
Recyclable
Water Repellent

INDUSTRY:

Beauty
Food & Beverage
Packaging
Textiles

AVAILABILITY:

Mass Market

DIVE DEEPER:

Unlike paper, bagasse does not come from trees, reducing the impact of the resulting paper-like product on global deforestation levels. Its by-product status means the material would otherwise go to waste if not utilised for packaging and fuel, and its use helps lower the impact of the sugarcane industry as a whole.
Sugarcane, bagasse’s feedstock, grows across many tropical or sub-tropical parts of the world. Brazil is the world’s largest producer of sugarcane, representing 37% of global production, followed by India (19%), China, Thailand and Pakistan. According to Statista, 181 million tonnes of sugar was produced between 2021 and June 2022.
When being used to create pulp, paper and moulded fibre, bagasse is stored wet after extraction. This allows for the removal of any leftover sugar, as well as the short pith fibres which would detrimentally impact the paper-making process. It is then turned into a pulp with added water – additives can be added to improve its properties – and it’s pressed into a desired shape by applying pressure at a high temperature. Bagasse pulp is incredibly mouldable and can be formed into a vast array of sturdy, insulating shapes.
Moulded fibre made from bagasse is being heavily used to replace polystyrene food containers such as clamshell takeaway boxes and tableware. It is food-grade safe and protects against spillage and the transfer of flavours.
It’s also being used to house beauty products, as seen by Papacks, and as a more luxury, secondary packaging solution for high-end beauty brands such as Chanel. Its use in the consumer technology space is also gaining traction.
Bagasse is often used as a primary fuel source for sugar mills – meaning the bagasse ‘production’ process has a reduced carbon impact due to its circularity. Historically, it was also used to power the trains that brought cut sugarcane to the mill. According to Our World of Energy, the CO2 emissions created when burning bagasse for fuel are lower than the amount of CO2 absorbed by a sugarcane plant when growing.
It is also well known that bagasse is used in the built environment to create particle board. Bagasse boards have to compete with plywood and fibre board and fall short at two key points – firstly, the need for costly synthetic resins to bind the bagasse fibres, and secondly, bagasse boards have an average maximum thickness of 15 millimetres, meaning they cannot be used outdoors.

KEY FACTS:

37%

of global production comes from Brazil, the world's largest producer of sugarcane

181mn tns

of sugar was produced between 2021 and June 2022, according to Statista

30-90 days

According to BioPak, bagasse breaks down within 30-90 days under commercial composting conditions

Key Questions to Ask:

Is your bagasse provider and the sugarcane production process certified?

Growing sugarcane isn’t impact-free, and the process, especially when unregulated, is known to have a number of detrimental consequences. These include the pollution of freshwater ecosystems, a high use of fresh water, and air pollution, which heavily impacts those exposed to bagasse production and can result in bagassosis – a chronic lung condition. As you would with any supplier, prior and third-party vetting should be undertaken.

Has the bagasse been chemically enhanced for end use?

Some bagasse or moulded fibre packaging has PFOA chemicals added during processing, which helps to give the material higher resistance to heat, moisture, oil and grease. It must be noted, however, that these chemicals were banned from use and sale in the UK and the EU from July 4th 2020. PFOA has been used in the creation of Teflon for years. It’s a forever chemical and has been shown to be an endocrine disruptor, impacting the development of the foetus and promoting the development of certain cancers.

How likely is it that it will be composted?

Industrial composting facilities aren’t available worldwide, and in many regions only a handful exist. What’s more, most kerbside recycling streams don’t cater to this waste management process, meaning bagasse-based packaging will likely end up in landfill or be incinerated. It could also contaminate paper and card recycling streams if consumers aren’t aware of the material make-up. Ensure consumer education and communication is a high priority when using this material, and prioritise its use where composting facilities exist.