Opportunities in greenfill packaging

25 May 2001



Opportunities in ‘greenfill’ packaging

By Amanda Dunn

MOULDED packaging made from wheat could soon be competing with polystyrene and offering farmers a lucrative market, claim manufacturers.

The current “greenfill” product, based on extruded wheat flour, is an alternative to polystyrene loosefill.

Developed by London-based manufacturer Greenlight Products and modified with Northamptonshire miller Heygates, it is exported as a finished and raw material.

Greenfill production already accounts for about 1000t/year of wheat and could increase six-fold, says Laurie Pearson, technical manager at Heygates.

“Compared with polystyrene, Greenfill is more environmentally friendly, made from a renewable source and is now also price competitive,” she said.

But at 8 million a year, loosefill is a relatively small market, compared to moulded packaging, admits Greenlight technical director Bruce Yeo.

“Our target is to make added value products, such as moulded packaging for electrical items,” he said.

Further research with Brunel University and Norwich Food Research Institute, is being undertaken backed by 200,000 for a three-year LINK project.

A 30,000 HGCA Enterprise Award presented to Heygates is being used to research suitability of different wheat varieties.

To date, more than 120 different wheat varieties have been trialled. Talks are also ongoing with plant breeders about new varieties.

The product is made by removing bran, then heating, moulding and expanding flour by steam before blowing it into a foam.

The final product is environmentally friendly and decomposes into a starch solution once in contact with water.

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