Sustainability through compostability


Stein Bongers, Product Manager Wipes EMEIA at Berry Global, highlights the benefits of innovative and sustainable cleaning solutions for the foodservice industry.


While companies in the foodservice sector are increasingly realising the importance of adopting the right tools and practices to create sustainable products, improve resource efficiency and minimise their environmental impact, there is one area that’s often overlooked – cleaning.


Traditional cleaning practices have numerous drawbacks, including high cost, low efficacy, remaining residues, adverse effects on food quality and a negative impact on the environment. In an effort to support the foodservice sector in becoming more sustainable, single-use compostable and biodegradable wipes have been developed.


Product innovation


Across the industry, tea towels are commonly used to wipe hands or surfaces. While these are suitable for drying, they have no actual cleaning properties and are not certified to be in contact with food. In addition, tea towels are generally made from resource-intensive cotton – according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), it takes more than 20,000 litres of water to produce 1kg of cotton.


Nonwoven wipes, on the other hand, are versatile and suitable for a wide range of cleaning applications. However, these wipes are traditionally made from non-renewable synthetic fibres such as polyester and polypropylene, making waste management an issue.


With the aim of developing an innovative method to provide sustainable yet convenient cleaning options, Chicopee, a brand of Berry Global, has reimagined nonwoven wipes. Its J-Cloth Biodegradable and Compostable is, Food Contact Clearance (FCC) approved, compostable and biodegradable, making it ideal for the foodservice sector.


What exactly does that mean? Biodegradation is a naturally occurring breakdown of materials by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi or other biological activity, while composting is a human-driven process in which biodegradation occurs under a specific set of conditions. Essentially, composting is an accelerated biodegradation process which occurs due to optimised conditions.


Compostable products, such as J-Cloth Biodegradable and Compostable wipes, present several benefits – for instance, they minimise the amount of waste sent to landfills and the materials used will not produce toxins as they deteriorate.


Compostable products also contribute significantly to environmentally friendly waste management as they are designed to be composted in an industrial composting facility together with food waste. Disposing of the wipes in the appropriate waste bin avoids littering and contributes to a sustainable and circular economy.


What’s more, the product’s packaging is also sustainable. The wipes come in a biodegradable and compostable polybag and are packed in an outer carton made from FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified materials, meaning the carton can be recycled.


Reducing risks, raising reliability


While re-usable cloths may appear more convenient, affordable and environmentally friendly than single-use disposables, disposability is vital in the foodservice industry as it helps reduce the risk of cross-contamination. Harmful substances and pathogens can be commonly transferred from one surface to another via seemingly clean cloths.


In addition, these FCC approved single-use wipes – which are made from PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) certified natural biodegradable viscose fibres – provide consistent, predictable results. The risk of loss of effectiveness through structural breakdown or retention of contaminants as the result of ineffective laundering is thus eliminated.


By using innovative cleaning solutions that are designed to support sustainability and safety, companies in the foodservice industry can minimise their environmental impact and reduce contamination risks while satisfying increasingly stringent consumer and government demands.


www.harrisonwipes.co.uk http://bit.ly/2m4BMt5 28 | FEATURE twitter.com/TomoCleaning


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