(Credit: J&J Green Paper)Food companies and manufacturers may soon have a viable answer to the problem of single-use plastics with the introdcuction of a new green paper technology, according to J&J Green Paper, a Miami start-up. J&J Green Paper’s technology, Janus, provides coated paper that can be custom-shaped and creates moisture resistance equivalent to petroleum-coated products. The paper is recyclable, compostable and made with zero petroleum additives, making it safe for composting with no chemical footprint.
In addition to enabling production of fully compostable and environmentally friendly food packaging products, the technology will allow for an alternative to wasteful K-cup coffee pods.
Seventy-eight million tons of plastic packaging is produced annually, and more than half of that is destined to become single-use products, such as plastic bottles, straws and food containers, according to Plastic Oceans International. Increasingly, consumers and businesses are choosing to buy, produce and supply products with less packaging or plastic-free packaging.
Major food products companies like Kraft, Kellogg’s, McDonald’s and Burger King are leading the charge and beginning to understand the value of adopting pro-environmental solutions, despite their longstanding history of using plastics in their consumer goods. Many of these market leaders have pledged to immediately reduce their use of single use plastics to help impede the tide of trash, but to date, the available alternatives to plastic are limited, expensive or hard to produce.
The company says it is in talks with several international companies regarding the use of J&J technology for packaging, and deals are expected to be announced throughout 2021.
Last summer, J&J Green Paper licensed its proprietary formula to CST Green Resources Limited (CST) of Hong Kong in a deal with undisclosed terms. CST plans to manufacture paper products using J&J’s breakthrough technology in facilities in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore with plans for eventual distribution throughout the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.
The CST licensing deal is projected to replace 50,000 tons of polyethylene during the first year with the expectation of reaching 300,000 tons by year three.
