Key takeaways:
- PlantFusion’s Organic Plant Protein is available in a fully compostable pouch.
- The new flexible pouch also addresses the issue of "slack fill," defined as the deceitful practice of using oversized plastic containers for under-filled product packages.
- There isn’t one solution to the plastic dilemma in this world; there are multiple ways to solve this complex issue.
PlantFusion is a Denver-based supplement brand that has been dedicated to producing nutrient-dense supplement options that are 100% plant-based and free from top allergens. In addition to producing high-quality products, the company also believes it has a responsibility to foster change within the industry, including reducing the use of plastic packaging. That’s according to Phil Vigeant, PlantFusion’s CEO and co-founder, who adds, “We see plastic as a big problem that needs other solutions, and the consumer needs options.”
One such option is the company’s organic plant protein powder packaged in a fully compostable pouch. As described by Vigeant, the new gusseted stand-up pouch for PlantFusion’s Organic Plant Protein is constructed of a “natural paper print layer, a mineral barrier layer, a plant-based barrier layer, and a plant-based sealant layer.” The plant-based layers use a blend of materials derived from eucalyptus and cassava root. Both the pouch and its reclosable zipper component have been certified by BPI as being commercially compostable.
In addition to tackling sustainability issues within plastic packaging, the new pack is also addressing the issue of ‘slack fill,’ defined as the deceitful practice of using oversized plastic containers for under-filled product packages.
Slack fill is an industry-wide issue not exclusive to PlantFusion, says Vigeant, and it is one that has consumers talking about all that empty space in containers.
“We all think of slack fill of being empty space in the package but the perception for consumers is a bigger issue than what a packager would measure,” describes Vigeant.
Vigeant described that PlantFusion’s new pouch still has headspace (as all containers do), but he says its less obvious in the pouch versus the plastic container.
“Powders in general are a bigger issue with slack fill than other items like capsules and vitamins because powders settle much much more than capsules and tablets,” says Vigeant.
Powders also require more headspace during filling than other items, so headspace for powders in all types of packaging is unavoidable.
“Machine operators working with powders need more headspace because of the airborne nature of it,” says Vigeant.
Combatting slack fill
The compostable gusset pouch addresses slack fill in two ways. One, the extra headspace in the pack is less than in the traditional plastic rigid container, and two there is so much less material used, and in a package that biodegrades, that it becomes less of a concern over waste in general.
“There is less packaging overall with a gusseted pouch. With rigid plastic, there’s more to recycle, and more to transport,” says Vigeant.
While the issue of plastic waste and slack fill are not directly related, they do overlap.
“If you solve the slack fill issue you also solve the excess plastic issue,” says Vigeant.” In general, there is less waste in a compostable gusset than a rigid container.”
The new pack solves for both, mitigating some of the slack fill simply in how the pouches are filled, which differs from the filling process of the plastic rigid containers.
The new compostable gusset pouch is being used today for two SKUs in PlantFusion’s product line, but Vigeant says that four more are planned to ship to Whole Foods soon and then another two next year.
“We had to start somewhere. Since it’s a new technology, we didn’t want to make too big of a commitment to it... we want to see how it goes,” says Vigeant.
Right now, the brand team is busy tracking the pouches’ performance in the shipping channel and on store shelves, and gauging consumer preference.
“We’re taking incremental steps to roll it out... it’s more efficient to do it this way,” says Vigeant.
The goal is to move to the new pouch for all of the powders in the company. But while that is the plan, the company is also looking at other options, like 100% PCR, among others.
“Right now compostable & biodegradable bags are a great new breakthrough, but there could be another breakthrough in six months, says Vigeant.
Packaging preference and usability varies from consumer to consumer. Vigeant describes that for some, the compostable bag is easy to deal with, but for others it isn’t easy to dispose of it.
“There isn’t one solution to the plastic dilemma in this world; there are multiple ways to solve this complex issue. We know this isn’t the end all be all,” says Vigeant.
But it is one option for those consumers savvy enough to participate in composting, whether at home through a sophisticated system like Lomi (a countertop composting machine), or at a commercial composting facility.
PlantFusion products are sold at natural product retailers such as Natural Grocers, Whole Foods Market, and local health food stores as well as online at plantfusion.com and Amazon.com
