Fibrepac

Trays made from miscanthus fibre / Source: Fibrepac

EuropeFibrepacFood & BeverageFood GradeHeat ResistantLightweightPackagingRegenerative

WHAT WE SAY:

Going tree free is the best option when replacing plastic with paper, and Fibrepac — a miscanthus-based pulp product from the company of the same name — looks to be a worthy contender in the alt-material landscape.

Miscanthus pulp behaves much like wood pulp, and comes from a highly renewable crop that regrows every year for up to 30 years. Using this fast-growing plant for packaging reduces the need to clear land and crush forest floors in pursuit of single-use packs — something that happens even in sustainably managed production forests. While the current supply of miscanthus is minimal, its potential is set to skyrocket.

Fibrepac

WHAT IS FIBREPAC?

Fibrepac is a miscanthus-based pulp packaging range created by the UK company of the same name.
Currently in pre-production, but with manufacturing slated to begin by the end of 2023, the Moulded Fibre material is made primarily from Miscanthus mixed with Wood pulp to provide uniformity.
The material is initially being used to create thermoformed food trays and grow mats, with more applications under development.
Miscanthus pulp behaves similarly to tree pulp, absorbing moisture and grease. As a result, a water-based coating is added to the final product so it is useable with food items. Ian Bates, director of Fibrepac, told PlasticFree that the "coatings won't be absolutely perfect, but they will be as additive free as possible and certainly won't contain PFOAs". The company is exploring ways to use lignin extract from the miscanthus itself as a grease and moisture barrier. No more details about the coating are available at this time.
To make Fibrepac, the company harvests miscanthus grown in the UK and Europe using standard farm machinery. The crop is baled, chopped into pieces, mixed with water and a brine that prevents bacterial growth, turned into pulp, and pumped into a traditional thermoforming machine where it's transformed into packaging.
Fibrepac's petroleum-free coatings means the products are home compostable, and the company is currently working towards certification. If not contaminated with food, the material could also be put in the paper recycling stream, but Bates notes that alternative fibres are not formally accepted for repulping by the paper industry in the UK. In practice, there’s always some in small amounts.
At present, the scalability of Fibrepac is limited by the small scale availability of miscanthus. Fibrepac currently has access to 15-20,000 tonnes of miscanthus fibre, which is more than the UK currently grows — a number standing at 10,000 tonnes a year, projected to grow to 100,000 tonnes within five years.
The company is in the process of signing a joint venture agreement with a large plastics packaging group that wants to diversify into alternative materials. NDAs are currently in place, but the partner has nearly 50 factories across Europe and it's a "true collaboration", according to Bates, with both companies funding half the cost.
Fibrepac currently has a test machine in Spain where the company is developing products. The first Fibrepac manufacturing facility is in Lincolnshire, on the miscanthus farm of one of Fibrepac’s directors.

KEY PROPERTIES:

Food Grade
Heat Resistant
Lightweight
Regenerative

INDUSTRY:

Food & Beverage
Packaging

AVAILABILITY:

Partner Trials

DIVE DEEPER:

According to research from WRAP, the production, use, and disposal of plastic contributes approximately 1.8 billion tonnes of carbon emissions to our atmosphere every year.
Considering that food packaging accounts for 50% of fossil fuel-based plastics within the packaging industry, the ubiquitous and pervasive use of this material to wrap our food is causing large scale environmental pollution, the leaching of toxic chemicals into our soils and waterways, and the creation of tiny microplastic particles that have infiltrated our bodies.
One of Fibrepac’s first products to market, thermoformed food trays, are designed to replace a particularly cumbersome plastic — styrofoam, otherwise known as expanded polystyrene. With a recycling rate of less than 1%, styrofoam is a brittle plastic that easily breaks apart, scattering pieces into the environment within minutes of being used.
Research by the University of Vienna in April 2023 found that styrofoam microplastics and nanoplastics are able to quickly move through the blood-brain barrier after being ingested, with the study finding plastic particles in the brains of mice only two hours after oral administration.
Borne from nature, the use of miscanthus in the Fibrepac solution offers benefits far beyond its non-toxic end-of-life. A perennial-growing crop, miscanthus is a C4 plant related to sugarcane and bamboo that can capture 2.35 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per hectare per year. It doesn’t need fertiliser or pesticides to grow, and with a fossil fuel-free and additive-free coating the packaging can go seamlessly back to nature once used.
Miscanthus' perennial status means farmers only need to plant it once, and they'll continue to profit from it for up to 30 years. The plant also grows on marginal land — land that’s too rocky, or has degraded soil not suitable for food crops — so it doesn't compete with the food chain.
While giant miscanthus is native to East Asia, it grows in many climates including the UK, Europe, and the US — areas where other types of abundant fibre crops such as bamboo and bagasse don’t easily grow. Fibrepac is focused on local harvesting and manufacturing within the UK, and is also experimenting with miscanthus and Mycelium combinations to expand its offering.
Fibrepac aims to make its manufacturing plants carbon negative, running on renewable energy powered by agriwaste and anaerobic digestion. The waste from the miscanthus itself will power the facilities, so no part of the crop is left unused.
Bates doesn't claim that miscanthus is the perfect fibre option for all use cases. But Fibrepac is providing brands and designers with the ability to grow a crop locally, process it locally, and supply it efficiently — both commercially and from a carbon perspective — all while using a regenerative source that respects nature.

Miscanthus grass / Source: NCSU

Fibrepac / Source: Fibrepac

KEY FACTS:

2.35 tns

of CO2e is captured by a hectare of miscanthus every year

15-20k

Fibrepac currently has access to a maximum of 20,000 tonnes of miscanthus

<1%

The recycling rate of styrofoam is less than 1%

Key Questions to Ask:

Clarify the coating

Fibrepac is still in the process of developing its coatings, and although it's dedicated to a PFOA-free formulation, coatings can contain many other hidden, harmful additives. Brands must make sure they understand the full composition of this coating when working with the company, in order to determine its potential lasting impacts on planet and people.

Are you seeking transparency?

Fibrepac is an opaque, naturally brown, woody material. Products that require transparent packaging are not best suited, but we would encourage brands and designers to think beyond the status quo and question if we really need to see all of our food before purchase. Recent innovations in this space include Barilla, who removed its plastic window from its pasta boxes and replaced it with a detailed image of the pasta type instead. Removing a small, letterbox-shaped window has reduced the brand's plastic footprint by 120,000 kilograms annually, and we doubt many noticed the difference.

Consider local waste streams

In the UK, where this product is produced, recycling miscanthus fibres isn't possible. That means any British brand using Fibrepac will either need to facilitate a takeback scheme for reuse and recycling, or encourage composting of the packaging throughout their marketing collateral. Companies beyond the UK borders should consider their in-country waste streams before investing in this solution, to ensure it doesn't end up in landfill or being incinerated.