30 sustainable materials that can be used for packaging. Narrow them down by feedstock and availability.
A PHA biopolymer platform produced by microbial fermentation.
PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate) that a Korean manufacturer makes by fermenting plant-derived feedstock. Specificat…
A water-soluble, biodegradable thermoplastic polymer based on natural protein.
A natural protein polymer that dissolves in water.
A seaweed-based ultra-thin barrier coating and extrusion pellet platform.
A barrier material of carbohydrates obtained from seaweed with plant-based oils added.
A compostable protective packaging foam that uses chitin derived from crustacean by-products.
A chitin-based bio-composite foam. Considered as a replacement for expanded-plastic cushioning in packaging.
A Korean wood/cellulose-based material for injection molding.
A wood by-product-based feedstock that can be run in existing injection molds, linking the formal freedom of…
A packaging material/process platform that rapidly forms cellulose fiber by dry molding.
A method of dry-forming cellulose fiber without using water.
PET/copolyester resin family made by mechanically and chemically recycling post-consumer PET and other inputs.
Recycled PET and copolyester from a Korean manufacturer. The recycling method differs by grade.
Molded fiber platform for packaging that forms cellulose, industrial hemp and similar fibers.
Packaging made from molded cellulose fiber. Depending on the product, the feedstock includes virgin fiber or…
Protective honeycomb packaging made from 100% recycled paper — unbleached, with water-based glues; all products FSC certified and the company is a B Corp. Air/Strength sleeves and corner protection for bottles, boards, furniture and electronics. Its own paper report discloses both sides: Air range −15% carbon vs bubble wrap, Mini sleeve +19% vs a plastic air sac (2021, since improved).
Reinforces both the packaging-waste axis and the packaging use. Answers the paper-vs-plastic cushioning quest…
Moulded material grown from mycelium on local agricultural waste fibres — 5 days growing plus 2 days drying. Stated "100% compostable" and "suitable for 100% home and marine composting". Protective packaging (Industrial, Luxury, Insulating), GIY (Grow It Yourself) kits and interior products. A European source for the material family of Ecovative's MycoComposite (US).
A record for sourcing mycelium packaging in Europe. Same material family as Ecovative (US) but a different su…
Bio-based polyethylene from Brazilian sugarcane ethanol. Avoids about 5 t CO2e per tonne versus fossil PE — stated as a third-party verified full LCA. ISCC PLUS and BONSUCRO certified (since 2011) with a responsible ethanol sourcing programme (since 2010). Processes and recycles like conventional PE. Capacity 275 kt/year after the 2025 expansion.
The scale baseline of the bio-polymer axis. Unlike PLA/PHA (biodegradable family), this is a drop-in riding e…
A family of biodegradable, compostable bioplastics containing renewable feedstock such as starch.
A family of bio-based polymers that are biodegradable and compostable. The composition differs by grade.
A protective packaging composite grown by binding agricultural by-products such as hemp hurd with mycelium.
According to official materials, the feedstock is two ingredients: hemp hurd and mycelium. It is used as mold…
Transparent/functional packaging film made from responsibly sourced wood pulp as regenerated cellulose.
A regenerated cellulose film obtained from wood pulp. Coatings differ by grade.
A seaweed-based barrier coating applied to paper and paperboard packaging as an alternative to plastic/PFAS.
A seaweed-based coating. The additive formulation has not been disclosed.
Recycled aluminium sheet from one of the world's largest aluminium rollers and recyclers. Average recycled content 63% in FY2025 (75% target by 2030), 84 billion used beverage cans recycled a year. Emissions intensity 3.6 t CO2e/t FRP (below 3 by 2030; −10% intensity achieved). EPDs published for architectural products. Supplied into beverage cans, automotive, aerospace and building sheet.
Broadens the aluminium axis beyond Hydro CIRCAL into rolling and the can-to-can loop. The sheer scale of cans…
A plastic-substitute bottle cap/closure material made from pressed cellulose fiber.
A closure made by molding cellulose fiber. Considered as a replacement for plastic closures.
A lightweight packaging foam molded from industrial starch, plant fiber, and water.
A molded cushioning material made from industrial starch, natural fiber, and water. No synthetic foam base is…
A recyclable flexible packaging material based on wood fiber.
A packaging material with renewable wood fiber as its main feedstock.
A bio-based material platform that applies plant-based additive technology to plant-derived PLA.
A resin of PLA (polylactic acid) made from plant-derived feedstock with proprietary additives. Specifications…
A fibre bottle platform that molds wood fiber to replace plastic/glass bottles.
A platform for making bottles from renewable fiber. The barrier method differs by product.
A traceable polyester yarn, fiber and resin made by recycling waste PET bottles.
A commercially available recycled PET feedstock that extends beyond fabric to nonwoven, sheeting, film and re…
A biocomposite for injection/extrusion that combines industrial by-product wood with biopolymers.
A composite of wood-industry by-product particles mixed with a biodegradable biopolymer.
A family of compostable flexible packaging films that can be processed like conventional plastic film.
A flexible packaging film made from a compostable polymer formulation.
A plastic-alternative material based on natural polymers extracted from grain processing residues.
A material made by converting grain processing residues into a natural polymer.
A copolyester built on molecular recycling — breaking waste plastic back to its chemical building blocks. Up to 50% certified recycled content, tracked by ISCC PLUS mass balance. Targets of 250M lb (2025) to 500M lb (2030) of waste plastic recycled annually. Made in Kingsport, Tennessee. For durable clear applications: bottles, drinkware, cosmetics, electronics, medical devices.
A commercial record of molecular recycling — taking waste mechanical recycling rejects back to chemistry. Sam…
Thermoplastic composite for molding, converted from hard-to-recycle mixed household waste.
Converts mixed household waste that is hard to sort and recycle into a pellet-form composite that can replace…
An injection-molding biocomposite combining cellulose fiber with wood-waste-derived PP.
By raising the cellulose share in a form usable on existing injection equipment, it can reduce the amount of…
Paper, bioplastic (injection, extrusion, 3D filament) and bio-concrete from Dutch-grown elephant grass (miscanthus). The crop absorbs about 30 t CO2 per hectare per year (four times a European forest), needs no fertiliser, and grows on marginal non-food land — figures stated both on the company's page and in the Holland Circular Hotspot case. Rotterdam-based, with Wageningen University guidance noted by HCH.
A local-feedstock material whose crop is itself a carbon sink (30 t/ha). Evidence is thin — company and publi…
A vegan, compostable material made by microbial fermentation. Microbes generate granules in fermentation units, which are extracted, pelletised and moulded on standard equipment with natural pigments. Stated to break down "fully in any soil and marine environment, leaving behind zero microplastics". Food contact certified, compatible with water- and oil-based formulations — commercially applied in skincare packaging.
A compostable moulding material from the third route — microbial fermentation rather than fossil or plant oil…