Alterpacks is tackling the global problems of food waste and food packaging problem with a two-pronged approach.
Founded in 2019, the Singapore-based start-up has developed technology that uses food waste as the raw material to make takeaway boxes and other containers. The process uses primarily spent grains, a common byproduct of food manufacturing including brewing beer.
Alterpacks transforms spent grains into containers that can be moulded into different shapes, while having the added benefits of being freezer- and microwave-safe, and home compostable. The process used to make the containers is similar to the one used in paper pulp manufacturing.
Spent grains are usually either used as animal feed or discarded. Alterpacks’ founders say that the properties of spent grains and their widespread availability make them an ideal candidate to use as a raw material in their manufacturing process.
By reusing and upcycling grains that would have otherwise been discarded, the company is creating new economic value and contributing to the development of a more sustainable circular economy.
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