Bio-based packaging manufacturer expands

Headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, Be Green Packaging counts a number of high-profile food and foodservice companies among its clients, such as Whole Foods, Wolfgang Puck and Genji Sushi.

Material issue​

Be Green Packaging marketing director Justin Faerman told FoodProductionDaily.com that the advancement of materials technology, and the creation of packaging products that offer better flexibility, has helped the spread of bio-based sustainable packaging.

“In our case, the ability to do zero-degree draft angles which really are opening up the technology to a whole host of industries and customers that otherwise were not able to use the fiber due to design constraints,” he said.

Green growth​

Be Green Packaging has origins in foodservice packaging. Prior to founding the firm in 2005 with Robert Richman, Ron Blitzer distributed consumables plastic straws, lids, HDPE gloves and other mostly plastic items for the restaurant industry.

Looking to get away from the waste associated waste associated with such consumables, they worked to make plates, bowls and other items from renewable fibers.

“The technology was just finally developing to the point where we could begin to manufacture on a large scale with better quality and a more refined feel,” he said. “This would ultimately allow us to have an impact on the scale we wanted, which was globally.”

Technical evolution​

Since its inception, Be Green Packaging has evolved its technology and expanded its scope to include more consumer packaged goods. Among its notable projects: helping brand owner Procter & Gamble migrate its Gilette razor from PVC packaging to a fiber-based clamshell.

Be Green Packaging’s fiber-blend packaging material is more flexible than competitive products, Faerman said. The company can execute custom-design items with a variety of colors, and the resulting products are compostable, biodegradable and recyclable.

Opportunities ahead​

While Be Green Packaging has managed to achieve a number of advancements in bio-based materials, Faerman said the company still sees opportunities for development. For example, he said, fiber packaging developers are looking to mimic more traditional forms of packaging in plant fiber form, such as screw tops, heat-sealed lidding and material that can handle volatile liquids for extended periods of time.

In addition to serving food and foodservice clients, Be Green Packaging is expanding its reach to other retail products. The San Francisco office is situated in California’s Silicon Valley, which is home to a number of computer and technology manufacturers.