With the rapid development of technology, there are many new materials that can replace traditional PE plastic, such as PLA, PHAs, PBS, etc. In the past several decades, eco-friendly plastic packaging has been widely used as shopping bags, freshness protection packaging, trays of electronic products and so on. However, in recent years, the new packaging has appeared: pulp molded packaging. With the improvement of environmental awareness of humans and the establishment of carbon targets, plastic reduction and forbidding have become a clear trend of the future, and the pulp molded packaging made from bagasse and bamboo has begun to increase explosively. As products of the current environmental trend, choosing bioplastic packaging or pulp molded packaging has become a problem. For biodegradable performance, both kinds of products are biodegradable, while the biodegradable conditions are different. Bioplastic is essentially a polymer, which is difficult to be biodegraded. This kind of packaging often needs to be recycled first and needs industrial compost under a specific condition. If we throw the bioplastic packaging in the sea or soil directly, it will be difficult to be biodegraded. Compared with bioplastic packaging, pulp molded packaging can be biodegraded into water and carbon-oxygen within 90 days after use, without providing a specific condition, which is eco-friendly for both customers and the environment. From the hardness of packaging, bioplastic packaging features high strength and tensile, which is not easy to bend. Most of the biodegradable cutleries in the market are made from PLA due to their high strength and biodegradable performance, and this kind of packaging has become popular in the catering industry. However, many eco-packaging companies also took action to develop high-strength pulp molded tableware. As the industry-leading sustainable packaging solution provider, YUTOECO has developed a series of pulp molded cutleries with high-strength features, which can easily cut fruits, cakes, etc. This kind of product has the same strength as plastic cutleries, which also can be biodegraded under natural conditions. In the catering industry, waterproof and oilproof performance is also a factor that merchants will consider for catering packaging. To solve the problem, pulp molded packaging companies always add some food-grade waterproof and oil-proofing agents. In addition, there are also other additives to realize the feature of resisting low or high temperatures. Usually, the pulp molded packaging can resist a temperature of -20~200℃, which allows consumers to heat food in a microwave or oven. Although bioplastic packaging is also waterproof and oilproof, this kind of packaging cannot resist high temperatures. Nowadays, many industry-leading retail companies have begun to use biodegradable tableware. For example, Starbucks and Luckin Coffee used PLA coffee cups for their cold drinks. As a transitional packaging product, bioplastic pac...

We may often see two words in our daily life – “Biodegradable” and “Compostable”. These two words are always used by mistake, which causes uncertainty for people who want sustainable shopping. To better create a better life for everyone, the most important thing is to understand the definition of biodegradation and compost, and the difference between them. Biodegradation means that everything can be decomposed and absorbed by microorganisms, which is a spontaneous process. When an object begins to be degraded, it will be degraded into simple components, such as carbon dioxide and water. This process can take place with or without oxygen. But if under the condition of oxygen, the biodegradable process will be shorter. It will take from several days to 500 years or even longer for biodegradation. However, the biodegradable time depends on the components and storage method, as well as temperature, water, light, and oxygen. Most waste landfill sites lack sunlight, air and moisture, which causes a slow biodegradable process. Normally, vegetable peels, eggshells, paper and garden wastes can be biodegraded under natural conditions in a short time. However, plastic and aluminum foil are always regarded as non-biodegradable products because they will take a long time to biodegrade. In other words, most of the “biodegradable products” will actually not be biodegraded under natural conditions. Compostable means that a product is capable of breaking down into natural elements in a compost environment. Because it’s broken down into its natural elements, it causes no harm to the environment. Different products may use different materials, which will cause different compost difficulties. So for compostable products, there are two kinds of types, home compost and industrial compost. Home compost means throwing wastes into waste bins or landfills in someone’s backyard, which can be implemented at home. Due to the limited temperature, some products cannot be decomposed under home conditions. Industrial compost always creates the best conditions, such as temperature, humidity, oxygen and so on. This method can decompose some complex products that home compost cannot decompose. Both two composting methods will produce abundant fertilizer after the end of the process. After knowing the definition of biodegradation and compost, you may still be confused. Although all compostable materials are biodegradable, not all biodegradable materials are compostable. Biodegradation will leave metal substances, while compost only produces biomass, carbon dioxide and water, which is totally eco-friendly to our environment. Therefore, if you want to reduce the impact on the environment, choosing compostable products will be a better choice. YUTOECO is committed to providing sustainable packaging products made from plant fiber and can be 100% biodegraded and composted under natural conditions.

As people's environmentally friendly awareness improves gradually, people begin to be aware of the problems that plastic pollution brings to the environment. In recent years, pulp molded tableware gradually appeared in people's view. This kind of product is made from plant fiber, such as bamboo and bagasse, which can be biodegraded in natural conditions within 90 days without causing pollution to the environment. However, plastic tableware has appeared for decades. Due to its stable structure and excellent tolerance, plastic tableware has become more and more popular nowadays. Compared with traditional plastic tableware, pulp molded tableware is just the beginning. There are so many technical problems that should be solved to make pulp molded tableware replace plastic tableware. 1. Waterproof & oilproof As we all know, paper is a common product in our daily lives, easily leaking and cannot contain water directly. The same goes for pulp molded containers! If we contain water or oil in a pulp molded container without any treatments, the liquid in the container will quickly seep out. For this problem, different companies adopt various measures to solve this problem. One is attaching a plastic film inside the container to realize water and oilproof. The paper cups in the market now are using this solution. While this solution also has plastic. It won't be easy to recycle this kind of product. With the continual development of technology, many companies have begun to explore full biodegradable pulp molded meal boxes. By adding food-grade biodegradable water and oilproof agents to make pulp molded containers realize water and oilproof. 2. High & low temperature resistant Besides water and oil proof, we also need to solve the problem of high & low temperature resistance. When it contains deli, food always has a high temperature. If the meal boxes cannot resist high temperatures, when it contacts with hot food, the quality of the food container will be changed, further affecting the food. For some special applications, such as aviation, we always put it in a microwave or oven for heating, which requires our pulp molded containers to resist an ultra-high temperature over 200℃. Most pulp molded containers in the market with the publicity of high-temperature resistance will become yellow when putting them in ultra-high temperature conditions. We also have a freeze requirement for food, which requires pulp molded containers to be used in low-temperature conditions. 3. PFAS-free We have mentioned above that the pulp molded containers must be oilproof. While do you know that almost all oilproof agents have PFAS, which are harmful to people? Therefore, using PFAS-free oilproof agents is an urgent problem that needs to be solved. As an industry-leading sustainable packaging solution provider, YUTOECO developed a food-grade PFAS-free oilproof formulation in advance, which is eco-friendly and can provide a safer meal experience for customers. 4. High-s...

1. What are the raw materials of disposable biodegradable meal boxes? And what’s the proportion of each material? The common pulp molded meal boxes are made from 70-90% of bagasse and 10-30% of bamboo pulp. Different tableware should adjust the proportion of each material according to the different needs of shape, angle, hardness, or toughness. This kind of product is totally made from plant fiber without adding PP, PET, etc. 2. How do pulp molded containers realize waterproof and oilproof? For pulp molded products, they will always add some food-grade additives to realize waterproof and oil proof, such as 1-2.5% of waterproofing agent and 0.5-0.8% of oil proofing agent. This kind of product can always effectively prevent water and oil from leaking over 30mins. For some special requirements, there are also special solutions to increase the temperature and time. 3. Does biodegradable tableware have PFAS? Most of the oil-proofing agents in the plant fiber tableware on the market have PFAS, while waterproof but no oilproof tableware doesn’t have PFAS. If you want tableware waterproof and oilproof without PFAS, the best alternative solution is filming. PBAT is one of the most popular films in pulp molded tableware. This kind of film can be biodegraded. Products with films can better maintain the temperature, and reduce the stickiness between rice and container, which can, to a large extent, reduce the use of water and oil proofing agents. 4. How long will a pulp molded tableware be totally biodegraded? Under the condition without any industrial measures, it usually takes 45-90 days for pulp molded tableware to be totally biodegraded under natural conditions without releasing harmful substances, which will not cause damage to terrestrial biotas and marine organisms. 5. Can pulp molded containers be used in the microwave and refrigerator? What’s the temperature range? Pulp molded containers are microwave and refrigerator safe, which can resist a temperature of up to 200℃, and frozen to -20℃. 6. What standards should pulp molded containers meet? Pulp molded containers should meet the standard of China Pulp Molded Tableware quality control standards, FDA, LFGB, and any other international standardized inspection standards. 7. Are the raw materials of white biodegradable food containers bleached? What bleach to use? Unbleached plant fiber pulp is yellow due to a small amount of lignin and colored impurities, and the fiber is more solid than bleached one; the semi-bleached pulp molded product is pale yellow because it has lots of pentosane; these kinds of colors are usually called “Natural Color”. The bleached pulp product is white and soft, while the fiber strength is lower than the unbleached one. Normally, we often use hydrogen peroxide to bleach.

Pulp molded packaging and cutlery have a wide market prospect in the global market, and even were regarded as the main method for dealing with “White Pollution” in western countries. Nowadays, America has announced that 8500 restaurants have stopped using PSP meal boxes, which reduced about 10 billion pieces. According to statistics, about 67.39 million people buy various trays and meal boxes during lunch, about 50 billion pieces per year. Furthermore, the fast-food industry and supermarkets consume over 100 billion trays per year in America; even their production capacity is only 20%, and the rest 75% of the trays need to be imported from other countries. Five states of the USA announced that they would use eco-friendly pulp molded food packaging to replace the traditional plastic packaging in 2010. This decision made the sales of the sustainable packaging market increase by 25 billion dollars. The consumption of trays can reach 60 billion in the fast-food industry and supermarkets in Japan; over 50% of the products need to be imported. Whatsmore, the trays consumption is over tens of billions of pieces per year in Korea, Taiwan, and other developed European countries. Southeast Asia would become the ideal area to export packaging. In June 2006, the EU passed a motion that the plastic packaging must be out of the catering market, and replaced with green, harmless pulp molded food packaging. East Asia, such as Japan and Korea, has gradually abandoned plastic food packaging these years. Many industries still use plastic packaging in China, while pulp molded packaging products also get a good development opportunity in recent years. With various policies proclaimed by district governments, many companies began to respond to the policy and used pulp molded packaging instead of plastic packaging. The pulp molded packaging has five classes: catering packaging, external food packaging, skin & health care packaging, Tobacco & Wine & Tea packaging, and consumer electronics packaging. YUTOECO is an eco brand focusing on producing sustainable packaging products, which are biodegradable and compostable. In recent years, pulp molded packaging has developed so fast. We can see biodegradable packaging products, such as compostable bowls, cups, plates, etc. We believe that the pulp molded packaging will be around us soon.

The disposable tableware, which was made with EPS, has been used since 1984, and quickly became popular in every corner of our country. According to statistics, about 10 billion disposable items are used per year, and most of them are plastic tableware, and increased by 25% year by year. While the EPS is difficult to be degraded and recycled, which brings inconvenience for dealing with the disposable tableware. With the fast development of pulp molded technology, our country has developed various sustainable food containers, including molded pulp bowls, pulp plates, pulp cups, etc., which can contain both cold and hot meals and drinks. In addition, this kind of biodegradable product can also be used in supermarkets. With the features of waterproof and anti-oil, this pulp molding tableware can effectively meet people’s daily use. The molded pulp tableware is mainly made with bagasse, bamboo, etc., which will experience a series of processes, including pulping, grinding, pulp formulation & supply, initial forming, dewaterization, heat-press, edge cutting and so on. This kind of product is totally made with natural materials and renewable. Advantages of pulp molding tableware: 1. The ingredients are from nature, including bagasse, bamboo, etc. 2. Without producing industrial wastewater, eco-friendly for the environment. 3. Waterproof and anti-oil. 4. Supports air-conditioners and microwaves. 5. The pulp molding tableware supports home compost. It only takes 45-90 days to be biodegraded without polluting the environment. 6. Without producing static electricity. Besides the molded pulp tableware, you may also see some other biodegradable tableware that is made of PLA plastic. Compared with the molded pulp products, the PLA products usually needs an industrial condition to realize the degradation. Nowadays, the molded pulp industry is still increasing, and gradually becoming scale and industrialization. We believe that the pulp molding products may instead of the traditional products in the future.

With the “Plastic Limit Order” execution, many supermarkets and chain stores have begun to use degradable packaging. As we all know, producing and using disposable plastic tableware without limitation will cause global issues. There are 2 methods our country pointed out to solve this problem, including using pulp molding tableware and degradable plastic tableware. So what are pulp molding tableware and degradable plastic tableware? What’s the difference between these two kinds of products? The pulp molding tableware is mainly made with plant fiber, while the biodegradable plastic tableware can be divided into three types, including light degradation, biodegrade and starch degradation. For the degradable plastic tableware, it usually takes 6 months for degrading under the industrial compost condition to degrade. The industrial compost condition requires a temperature between 50℃-60℃. In addition, it also needs special flora and special oxygen to reach the industrial compost condition, which is difficult to reach these conditions in the natural environment. In 2010, the Agricultural University of Athens experimented with the biodegradation of PLA biodegradable plastic in Mediterranean soil. After 11 months, only parts of the PLA biodegradable plastic occur physical disintegration and fragmentation. In 2014, the Central South University of Forestry and Technology simulated natural soil to do the PLA plastic biodegrade experiment, and the quality lost only by 0.23% after 12 months, which was almost no degradation. In 2017, the German University of Meloit also did an experiment; the PLA plastic can be biodegraded after 400 days under the industrial compost condition, while it can’t be degraded in water and ocean, which lose only 0.5% of the quality. Therefore, we can know that the requirements of biodegradation for PLA plastic tableware are very strict. For the pulp molding tableware, an institute researched the degradation of pulp molding meal boxes. It only took 60 days for 100% biodegradation of pulp molding meal boxes. Because the pulp molding tableware is totally produced with natural ingredients, such as bamboo pulp and bagasse, it can be 100% degradation, and has less influence on the environment than PLA plastic tableware. The advantages of pulp molding tableware: 1. Environmentally friendly and harmless. 2. Available to contact 120℃ oil and 100℃ hot water without shape-changing and leakage. 3. Supports microwave oven and refrigerator. 4. Biodegradable and recyclable YUTOECO mainly focuses on sustainable packaging products, including pulp molding bowls, plates, cups, trays, etc., which are recyclable and support 100% biodegradable. We are committed to providing our clients with environmentally friendly packaging products and creating value for our clients.

The take-out industry developed fast in recent years in China. According to the investigation, the scale of the internet catering market had increased 112.5% in 2018 compared with last year. Nowadays, take-out packaging still mainly uses plastic packaging, which causes a serious problem for the fast-expanding take-out market. To reduce environmental pollution, biodegradable take-out packaging is becoming a new trend in this industry. The take-out industry has developed for a long time in China, and the take-out packaging has changed a lot compared with before. Generally, the take-out packaging experienced 3 steps from foaming meal boxes, PP plastics utensils to degradable pulp meal boxes. With increased human awareness of environmental protection, degradable pulp meal boxes have begun to be used in the take-out packaging market. For the aspect of environmental protection, the pulp meal box is easy to degraded, which has a fewer influence on the environment. In addition, this kind of packaging is innocuous and unpoisonous. Although take-out packaging developed fast and people's environmental protection awareness is increasing, the biodegradable meal boxes still have a low market share. An industry media survey interviewed 100 consumers of various ages about the take-out packaging they received recently. It shows that 66% of the respondents received disposable plastic meal boxes; 21% of them received the foaming meal boxes; the other packaging proportion is 12%, and the degradable pulp meal boxes only have a proportion of 1%. It is easy to find that although the use of plastic packaging still has a large proportion in the Chinese take-out market, with the increased human awareness of environmental protection and take-out quality, degradable packaging must become a new trend in the future, and has a large market potential. Besides the market need, some take-out platforms also hold some events to boost the development of degradable pulp meal boxes. For example, Meituan set up a "Qingshan Plan Special Fund" with CEPF in 2017 to solve take-out packaging's environmental problems. This special fund held a series of efficient events around people's environmental protection awareness and plastic reduction of the take-out market, which is beneficial for improving the usage rate of biodegradable pulp meal boxes. YUTO ECO was also nominated as the first batch green packaging list of the Meituan Qingshan Plan names. The take-out industry is becoming a fast-developing part of the Chinese food industry, while it also causes many problems, which makes environmentally-friendly take-out packaging is becoming a hot topic. From the whole aspect, the take-out market's environmental protection degree is still low in China, and has a development space in degradable pulp meal boxes. We believe that the take-out packaging industry will gradually switch to environmental protection and green, and the take-out packaging will become better and better.

Nowadays, our country advocates environmental protection, and some take-out merchants also began to use degradable meal boxes instead of disposable products to reduce environmental pollution. So what is the degradable meal box? And what ingredients are the degradable products made of? The degradable meal box refers that its biochemical reactions can occur under the conditions with natural microorganisms, cause changes in its structure, and finally become carbon dioxide and water. This whole process of decomposing hazardous substances does not need human participants, which is a long-time process. Not only does the degradable meal box should meet the requirements of General Technical Requirements for Disposable Biodegradable Catering Utensils, but it also needs to have the value of recyclable and reusable, or convenient for landfilling and high temperature composting. There are two kinds of degradable meal boxes. The first one is made of natural material, such as bagasse, bamboo, etc.; the other one is mainly made of plastic, and adds some starch, photosensitizer and so on. As a professional sustainable packaging solution provider, YUTOECO always focuses on producing environmentally friendly packaging products. Our packaging is totally made of natural materials. Actually, the actions of "plastic reduction" have been started between some leading food and beverage companies. Some chain businesses, such as McDonald's and Starbucks, begun to change the traditional packaging products to eco-packaging products to carry forward environmental protection, covering using paper bags, reducing plastic straw, etc. Meanwhile, with the rapid development of the take-out business in the food industry, some take-out platforms also launched their "plastic reduction" actions. The comprehensive plastic reduction has become more and more popular. According to The Opinion of Further Strengthen the Dealing of Plastic Pollution launched by the China Development and Reform Commission, the nationwide food and beverage industries are forbidden to use non-degradable single-use plastic straws, and the scenic area or cities' restaurants cannot use non-degradable disposable plastic tableware. Nowadays, more and more companies have begun to respond to environmental calls, such as using biodegradable cups, compostable bowls, eco-friendly plates, etc. However, there are still some problems that limit the spread of eco-friendly packaging products. For example, compared with traditional plastic packaging, sustainable packaging has higher costs due to the lack of raw materials. But as human awareness of environmental protection continues to improve, sustainable packaging must become more and more popular.