Sustainability

Our products do not cost the earth in the way that bio-based plastics have the unique advantage over conventional plastics to reduce the dependency on limited fossil resources and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They can also be turned back into nutritious compost where facilities exist – supporting a circular economy where there is no waste. BioPak strives to minimise any negative impacts our business has on the environment. 

Ingeo™ bioplastic: Using Ingeo™ reduces raw materialCO2 emissions by 80% compared to regular plastic resin.

Paper and wood: Sustainably sourced from managed plantations and made from FSC™ certified sources wherever possible.

Sugarcane pulp: By-product of the sugar refining industry, which is both rapidly renewable and sustainably sourced.

No, we do not use any palm oil or palm derivatives in any of our products.

Certified B Corporations have undertaken the rigorous B Impact Assessment which explores a company’s governance, transparency, environmental and social impact. B Corps voluntarily hold themselves to a higher level of accountability in these areas. B Corps redefine success in business by competing not to be the best in the world, but to be the best for the world.

BioPak is proud to be a certified B Corp. With our focus on developing and promoting sustainable plant-based packaging solutions, we have, in the space of 10 years, disrupted an industry and continue to improve to offer the most sustainable food packaging possible.

For more information, read our blog on "What it means to be a B Corp".

The use of PE plastic sleeves is a health and safety requirement for food contact packaging. We have successfully validated the move to home compostable bioplastic sleeves to replace our current plastic ones. We are now working with suppliers to implement this across the full range.

If consumers are choosing to pay more to reduce their environmental impact then it’s our job – as manufacturers, suppliers, and retailers – to honour that. We must all ensure our products live up to the environmental claims and offer a real environmental benefit – not just lip service that makes consumers feel good whilst inadvertently continuing to pollute the environment.

Environmental claims around biodegradability are often used in ways that are confusing or misleading with certification often omitted and time frames to decompose undefined, so it is important to back up any claims with third-party certification.

At BioPak, we only make real-world environmental and sustainability claims that can be independently verified through a robust and rigorous scientific process. We go to great lengths to ensure our packaging products align with the principles of a circular economy, and our compostable products are certified to Australian and international standards.

For more information, visit "BioPak product and facility certifications" website.

Most BioPak products are certified industrially compostable to Australian and/or European Home compost standards. Home compostability certification typically requires that the product breaks down in a regular backyard composting environment, like a compost bin or pile. To pass, products are required to break down within 180 days and leave no toxic residue behind: the chemical composition of the compost is assessed and potential contaminants are measured against maximum values.

Most BioPak products are certified industrially compostable to the Australian AS4736 compost standard. AS4736 requires that the product disintegrates after 12-weeks in industrial compost conditions and completely biodegrades after six months. That means that 90 percent or more of the material will have been converted to CO2 and the remaining share is converted into water and biomass. AS4736 also requires that the quality of the compost is not hindered by the products and is safe to be applied to land.

The Australia compostability certification is the same as European Union (EU) with the addition of an earthworm eco-toxicity test.

ISO 14000 is a series of environmental management standards developed and published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for organizations. The ISO 14000 standards provide a guideline or framework for organizations that need to systematize and improve their environmental management efforts.

ISO 22000 is a food safety management system that can be applied to any organisation in the food chain, farm to fork. ISO 22000 standards require that business have a food safety management system in place.

The ISO 9000 quality management system standards are designed to help organisations ensure that they meet statutory and regulatory requirements related to a product or service.

With so many packaging products made from paper, it’s important to ensure our forests are not irreparably damaged in the creation of paper-based packaging. The Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC™) is an international non-profit that acts to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests. BioPak is FSC certified to ensure the paper-based packaging we create is produced in a sustainable manner, with minimal environmental impact. 

The organic recycling industry is rapidly evolving. BioPak has launched Compost Connect, a brand-agnostic and not-for-profit initiative that aims to divert organic waste from landfill by connecting foodservice businesses to composters and certified compostable packaging suppliers. It also connects end users to responsible cafes and councils who choose composting.

Compost Service facilitates customers to connect with existing commercial composting infrastructure. We also support the growth of new infrastructure by driving demand for a thriving composting industry to assist in making new investment viable. We are also engaged with councils, waste collection contractors and composters to increase education and awareness for composting and reduce contamination across all waste streams.

BioPak give back 5% of profits to positive change, so when you choose BioPak products you're contributing to important social and environmental initiatives. As a responsible business, we believe we have an obligation to preserve and protect the environment and to give back and support the communities in which we operate.

Rainforest Rescue and GreenFleet

We donate 1% of Australian profits to Rainforest Rescue and 1% of New Zealand profits to GreenFleet. Since 2012, this pledge has funded the planting of over 50,000 trees and purchased 5 hectares of rainforest for protection.

Charities and Organisations

We donate 4% of profits to support the charitable community work of many of our hospitality customers, particularly those working with the homeless and disadvantaged. We are a key partner to STREAT who empower young homeless people to find their feet through employment in the hospitality industry. We support a number of projects from fantastic charities like Rosies ‘Cuppa’ program, OzHarvest, Food Bank and Christ Mission Possible. 2% of sales of our Indigenous BioCups also goes directly to CorporateConnect.AB to support Indigenous communities.

BioPak’s ‘Environmental Impact Label’ is now available on every product description on our website. In the name of radical transparency, Environmental Impact Labels allow customers and consumers to see details about the ‘environmental cost’ to the planet – per carton of product. Understanding exactly how we impact the environment can help us work toward solutions to reduce our impact. 

Our Environmental Impact Labels are available on every product page on our website. Scroll down below the product specifications and category details to see the label. Check out this example on our plant fibre takeaway container product page. 

Today, vague sustainability claims are no longer good enough. We need data to substantiate claims, based on scientific evidence. That’s where our Environmental Impact Labels come in. By using clear and accurate data, we’re:

• Getting a clear understanding of our impact
• Embracing transparency and accountability
• Showing our commitment to combat greenwashing
• Giving consumers the information they need to make informed decisions
• Identifying areas with the greatest potential for environmental impact reduction
• Contributing to business decision-making

Pickler is an environmental impact calculation software for packaging. Pickler helps packaging companies, like BioPak, understand and share their environmental impact and then make informed, science-based decisions to reduce it. 

There are a few reasons why BioPak is choosing Pickler for our environmental impact calculations. Pickler uses a unique, completely transparent Life Cycle Assessment-based method to make science-based and credible footprint calculations. 

This allows us to get clear and accurate data to inform our decision-making and help customers make informed purchase decisions, too. 

What’s more, as legislation shifts toward sustainable packaging solutions, partnering with Pickler keeps us ahead of the game. 

When you click on ‘read full report’ in the bottom right corner of the Environmental Impact Label, you’ll be taken to a more detailed ‘Environmental Impact Report.’ This expands on the label and provides a summary of the environmental footprint per carton of that particular packaging product.

BioPak’s Environmental Impact Report includes: 

• Total carbon footprint – the total greenhouse gas emissions released into the atmosphere as a result of all the activities completed to create that product (across the entire life cycle). Carbon footprint is expressed as CO2-eq, a metric that translates all greenhouse gases into the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide. 
• Carbon footprint (per lifecycle phase) – a breakdown of the greenhouse gas emissions released into the atmosphere across each different stage: material stage, product stage, transport stage and end of life stage. This is expressed as CO2-eq (and the sum of these stages gives us total carbon footprint). 
• Total eco-cost – a concept that places a monetary value on the environmental costs of a product (note: this is not an additional fee in our products). The eco-costs are calculated using four impact categories.
• Eco-cost (broken down into four impact categories) – the eco-cost is independently calculated across four categories: biodiversity loss, effects on human health, material scarcity, as well as the more standard carbon emissions.
• Eco-costs (per product stage) – the environmental impacts throughout the entire life cycle of a product – including the material stage, product stage, transport stage and end of life stage. 
• Eco-score – an overall score based on the eco-costs model. There are 9 possible eco scores ( A+, A, B, C, D, E, F, and G) – with A+ having the lowest eco-cost per kg of material and G having the highest eco-cost per kg of material. These can be used to compare products in similar categories. 

Learn more about Environmental Impact Reports here.

The eco score* system allows consumers to easily compare products. There are 9 eco scores – A+, A, B, C, D, E, F, and G – with A+ having the lowest eco-cost per kg of material, and G having the highest eco-cost per kg of material. 

Eco-costs are based on producing a kilogram of packaging material. This allows for easy comparison. The eco scores are grouped into these categories:

• A+: anything below €0.05 eco costs per kg of material*
• A: €0.05 to €0.10 eco-costs per kg of material
• B: €0.10 to €0.20 eco-costs per kg of material
• C: €0.20 to €0.40 eco-costs per kg of material
• D: €0.40 to €0.80 eco-costs per kg of material
• E: €0.80 to €1.20 eco-costs per kg of material
• F: €1.20 to €2.00 eco-costs per kg of material
• G: anything above €2.00 eco-costs per kg of material

*The eco scoring system is developed by Sustainability Impact Metrics.

BioPak will use our impact data to uncover the biggest impact categories for a product and which part of the product's lifecycle caused it (for example, it might highlight the problem with certain production processes or raw materials). This is called 'impact hotspots.' 

Knowing our impact hotspots can lead to better decision-making, allowing us to make informed decisions when it comes to allocating resources, managing risks, and innovating new materials for sustainable packaging. We can scrutinise our value chain and manufacturing processes. 

Learn more about what we will do with product impact data here. 

To get our Environmental Impact Reports we partner with Pickler, an environmental impact calculation software for packaging. Pickler uses a unique, completely transparent Life Cycle Assessment-based method to make science-based and credible footprint calculations. 

Yes. Pickler’s methodology is compliant with ISO 14008 (monetary valuation of environmental impacts and related environmental aspects). The IDEMAT reference database and data calculations are also in compliance with ISO 14040, 14044, EN15804, and the LCA handbook of the ILCD. 

Product Life Cycle Assessment results can only be compared with products that are using the same life cycle stages, methodology and assumptions. This allows for accurate comparisons that combat greenwashing. Therefore, Pickler users can compare their results with other Pickler users. This also means customers can compare different BioPak products. 

Carbon footprint is a simple way to communicate our impact on climate change, either as an individual, group, or company. It’s essential to understanding and minimising our impact on the planet. 

Because every greenhouse gas has a different potency and ‘global warming potential’ (GWP) – we convert the effects of other gases (like methane and nitrous oxide) into the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide. This is CO2-eq. 

Every BioPak product now has an Environmental Impact Label. When you click on ‘read full report’ in the bottom right corner of the Environmental Impact Label, you’ll be taken to a more detailed ‘Environmental Impact Report.’ You’ll find a section in this report that outlines the CO2-eq. 

Carbon footprint is calculated across the entire life cycle – that includes the extraction of raw materials, production, transport, and finally, the end of life disposal. This is often referred to as Life Cycle Assessment (more on this in the section below).

Carbon footprint is a valuable metric – but it shouldn’t be used in isolation. Becoming tunnel-visioned and focusing solely on carbon footprint can overlook other important factors, like the impact on human health and biodiversity. It’s important that we look beyond carbon footprint and take a holistic view of a product’s impact.

Eco-costs place a monetary value on the environmental costs of a product (calculated per carton of product). It’s the ‘price’ nature and society pay to produce a product, calculated across four categories: biodiversity loss, effects on human health, material scarcity and carbon emissions. 

This gives customers a straightforward metric to understand and compare the environmental impacts of our products. 

Note: it’s a concept and a guide, not a hidden or added fee to the product's market price.

No, eco-costs aren’t included in the price of our products. It’s up to us to reduce our product’s impact on the environment. 

Eco-costs are calculated per carton of product because this is how they’re sold. 

Eco-costs allow us to understand our impact on the environment so we can work to reduce it. By using four key categories (biodiversity loss, effects on human health, material scarcity and carbon emissions) we can gain a rounded view of a product’s impact – rather than becoming ‘tunnel-visioned’ and focusing solely on one factor, like carbon footprint.

It’s a complex calculation (made simple for the end-consumer) because we are essentially converting carbon footprint, resource scarcity, impact on biodiversity and impact on human health into the same ‘metric’. 

Using a Life Cycle Assessment method, the individual results for each separate category are called ‘midpoint indicators’. The eco-cost system used in Pickler was created by the foundation Sustainability Impact Metrics (a spin-off of the Technical University of Delft). It adds a monetary value to each midpoint indicator, allowing us to add up the values into four main categories. When we add these up, we get the total environmental cost of a product. This gives us a simple, digestible figure. 

Eco-costs are calculated across four impact categories: biodiversity loss, effects on human health, material scarcity and carbon emissions. For more information on each impact category, see the next section. 

An eco score is an overall score based on the eco-costs model. There are 9 possible eco scores ( A+, A, B, C, D, E, F, and G) with A+ having the lowest eco-cost per kg of material, and G having the highest eco-cost per kg of material. These can be used to compare products in similar categories.

Greenhouse gas emissions (like carbon) trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere and exacerbate global warming – a colossal problem in today’s world. The concept of ‘carbon footprint’ is a simple way to communicate our impact on the climate. 

A product’s carbon footprint refers to the total greenhouse gas emissions released into the atmosphere as a result of all the activities completed to create that product (across the entire life cycle). Carbon footprint is expressed as CO2-eq – a metric that translates all greenhouse gases into the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide. 

At BioPak, we’re working to reduce our carbon footprint through our Emissions Reduction Plan. Instead of allocating 1% of our profits to carbon offsets, we are channelling these funds into our Emissions Reduction Plan – supporting research, education, and advocacy projects that promote composting in our markets. It’s not a step back but a leap forward. 

Read about our Emissions Reduction Plan. 

At BioPak, we prioritise rapidly renewable, plant-based resources, designed for the circular economy. 

For example, we use bagasse (also known as sugarcane pulp) which is an agricultural bioproduct after the sugarcane plant is harvested for its juice. The sugarcane pulp to make our products would otherwise be sent to landfill. What’s more, sugarcane is a rapidly renewable and widely available resource due to its fast-growing nature and ability to be harvested annually.

We also use FSC™ certified paper and birchwood for things like straws and cutlery. The Forest Stewardship Council™ is a non-profit organisation that acts to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests.

Economic activities to create products, like deforestation and pollution of soil, water and landscapes, can negatively impact biodiversity. That’s why we work to reduce our impact on biodiversity. 

We choose to use rapidly renewable, plant-based resources, designed for the circular economy – like FSC™ certified paper and birchwood. Our products are designed to be composted at the end of life, which diverts food and organic waste from landfill and turns it into nutrient-rich compost instead. This compost can then be used to grow more plants. We also help to compost as much of our products as possible via our not-for-profit composting platform, Compost Connect. 

We also donate 5% of our profits to social and environmental charities. Since 2012, we’ve donated our time, energy and a total of $4.7 million – including planting or rescuing 90,947 trees through Rainforest Rescue 

This impact category covers how the creation of a product can affect human health, specifically in relation to diseases. 

PFAS (AKA forever chemicals) are found in almost everything. BioPak has discovered PFAS in a small range of BioCane products. We’re moving quickly to completely phase out PFAS in our production – this will make us the first in our industry.

A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analyses a product or service throughout its entire life cycle, from raw material extraction to end-of-life disposal. This gives us a holistic view of its overall environmental impacts.

Considering the entire life cycle of a product is essential in reducing the total environmental impact. For example, imagine if we only considered the environmental impact of manufacturing our coffee cups – we would then be disregarding the raw material extraction and the way it’s disposed of at the end of its life.

Using Pickler’s Life Cycle Assessment methodology, a product’s life cycle stages include:

• Raw material extraction
• Manufacturing
• Use phase*
• End of life
• Transportation (throughout the life cycle)

*BioPak doesn’t factor in this phase – the use phase of our products does not create any additional emissions (unlike other products, like cars or electric appliances). 

When you click on the ‘read full report’ link, you’ll be taken to the environmental impact report. Here, you’ll find a summary of the environmental footprint (carbon footprint and eco-costs) of the packaging at every stage of its life cycle. 

When we talk about our Life Cycle Assessment, we also have to consider what we’re analysing. This is where eco-costs and carbon footprint come in. 

Eco-costs are a concept that places a monetary value on the environmental costs of a product (note: this is not an additional fee for our products). Eco-costs are broken down into four key categories: carbon footprint, impact on biodiversity, impact on human health, and impact on material scarcity (requested by European legislation). These categories are what goes into our Life Cycle Assessment. 

Learn more about eco-costs. 

Life Cycle Assessments give us invaluable data to help individuals, companies and industries understand their impact – and this is the first step to reducing it.