BAR-U-EAT First to Offer BPI-Certified Compostable Bar Wrappers

Colo.-based natural, energy-dense bar brand and 1% for the Planet member BAR-U-EAT unveiled new Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI)-certified compostable packaging for its individually wrapped bars. The brand says this makes it the first bar company in the world to offer packaging carrying this certification for the entire package. The move ensures that the packaging will break down properly in commercial compost systems, and not contaminate the environment. It also steps leaps beyond the industry standard of single-use plastics, according to the company.

Every year more than two billion pre-packaged snack, protein, and energy bars are consumed, almost all of which come in single-use plastics or multi-layered wrappers. This creates millions of pounds of waste from a non-renewable, non-biodegradable resource. BAR-U-EAT’s new packaging are made from renewable, sustainably sourced materials can break down to become nutrient-rich soil. This type of packaging is at the forefront of where sustainable packaging technology is headed and where it needs to go to combat waste and the use of finite resources. The company claims it is is a full 10 years ahead of the curve and is already compliant with California’s SB 54 legislation, which requires all packaging in the state to be third-party verified to be recyclable or compostable by 2032.

The new packaging is composed of plant-based materials from FSC Certified sustainably managed forests. The brand’s material supplier Elk Packaging uses a combination of films from Futamura and other suppliers. It additionally complies with the specifications established in the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D6400 to be aerobically composted and is biodegradable.

“The film structure is a lamination of a cellulosic-based film and a compostable sealant web with LLDPE properties. The plant-based materials come from a wood cellulose from FSC-certified, sustainably managed forests and corn,” says Jason Friday, BAR-U-EAT’s co-founder, further confirming that the film material is not PLA-, PHA-, or Braskem-related.

The film material is flexographically printed in five colors total, one for each of four SKUs plus white, and provided as rollstock to the brand for flow wrapping. Notably, this film material runs on traditional flow-wrap equipment.

Since compostable packaging is quite new to most consumers, Packaging World asked Friday about how he handles consumer education and proper disposal, to ensure the film doesn’t end up in landfill or worse, contaminating an existing recycling stream.

“On the packaging there is a section which says, ‘BPI Compostable Commercially Compostable Only.’ There is also a QR code on the side of every box which directs them to a link on the BAR-U-EAT website that outlines how to properly dispose of our packaging and compost. This is also bolstered by marketing efforts in email, social, and SMS,” he says. “The consumer is expected to commercially compost our packaging. This is the best route for the consumer to take so that it can turn into usable compost. If a consumer doesn’t have access to commercial composting, the appropriate place to dispose of the wrapper is in a landfill. These wrappers are not recyclable but are biodegradable.”

According to the company, BAR-U-EAT’s longstanding mission is to change the way we think about the food that we eat and how it’s packaged. Founders believe that packaged food should be simple, free from oils and preservatives, and packaged in a way that is less wasteful and regenerative to our planet. With BAR-U-EAT’s new plant-based packaging, the wrapper your food comes in will now become food for our planet, the company says. —Matt Reynolds

By The Numbers

3,000

The number of U.S. residents that will be selected to provide answers to an online questionnaire on the most effective way to communicate nutritional information on the front of food packaging as part of an FDA consumer study

6M

Tonnes

The increase in units of single-use plastics produced globally per year from 2019 to 2021, despite tougher worldwide regulations, according to Reuters

$10M

The amount Keurig Green Mountain has agreed to pay in a class-action settlement with a consumer who sued over coffee pod recyclability claims; Keurig will also add on-pack language indicating the cups are “not recycled in many communities”

4.6%

The CAGR of the global packaging machinery market, reaching $66.14 billion by 2030, driven by the increase in demand for convenience food products, according to ResearchAndMarkets.com

“A standardized methodology for product climate footprints doesn’t exist yet, but in the meantime, we hope this launch [of on-pack labeling] empowers consumers to learn more about climate footprint labeling and encourages other companies to disclose this information so that consumers are able to make informed decisions right from the grocery aisle.”

–Julie Kunen, director of sustainability, Oatly North America, as reported by Food Dive in an article, “Oatly debuts carbon footprint labeling on U.S. products”

“EPA recently developed guidelines regarding empty pharmaceutical containers and determine[d] that any residue is nominal and is not considered hazardous. Recycling HDPE has benefits. Studies have shown it is more cost effective to produce from recycled HDPE than it is to manufacture virgin HDPE plastic. One kilogram of HDPE requires 1.75 kilograms of oil to manufacture.”

“The packaging ecosystem has not advanced at the pace that organizations setting targets back in 2017 and 2018 had hoped for. Organizations face operational and financial challenges that were discovered only through the attempt to deliver their goals, but meaningful progress on sustainability can still be made with more realistic frameworks in place.”

–John Blake, senior director analyst with the Gartner Supply Chain practice, in a press release, “Gartner Predicts 20% of Organizations with Sustainable Packaging Goals Will Shift Their Focus from Recycling and Eliminating Plastics to Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Their Packaging by 2026”

“Danone is trudging ahead without a serious plan to deal with plastics, despite clear concern from climate and health experts and consumers, and a legal obligation to face up to the issue. It continues to rely on single-use plastic packaging in the hopes that recycling will miraculously deal with the flood of plastics it puts on the market. But recycling is a limited solution as only 9% of plastics ever made have been recycled. It’s unrealistic for food giants like Danone to pretend recycling is the silver bullet.”

–Rosa Pritchard, plastics lawyer for ClientEarth, as quoted in an article from BeverageDaily.com, “‘We are very surprised by this accusation’: Danone sued over plastic pollution”

Multi-Head Combination Weighers

• Available in 10, 14, 16, 20 & 24 Head Models

• 10.4” Color Touch Screen

• Fully Enclosed Radial Feeder

• Wash-Down Models Available

• Easy Access to Breaker for –Lock Out Tag Out

• Achievable Speeds of up to 150 BPM

• Load Cell Technology for ln-Feed Detection

• Easy Removal of All Parts for Cleaning

• Optional Timing Hoppers & Diverting Hoppers

800.504.7120

Our MULTI-HEAD COMBINATION WEIGHERS deliver a high-quality build backed by our industry leading customer service. High Tek USA knows that the food industry needs the best performance, with the best options all in one reliable and lasting solution. .