Pastry sleeves that biodegrade in 180 days, compostable vacuum-sealed bags and a novel individual format of olive oil made from algae are part of the proposal.
The growing presence of environmentally conscious consumers and new public policies have prompted hotels, restaurants and cafés in Chile to seek alternatives to reduce the consumption of single-use plastics in their daily operations. This trend is in line with the UN-led Global Initiative on Tourism and Plastics, where hundreds of organizations in the industry have set a goal of eliminating unnecessary plastic packaging and items by 2025, while collaborating and investing to increase composting rates.
Faced with this scenario, the Chilean company I Am Not Plastic launched a complete range of plastic-free products aimed at this sector, whose main advantage is to maintain the versatility and convenience of this material, but without its harmful consequences, as they are fully compostable. These are developments especially designed for the restaurant and hotel industry, made from biodegradable biopolymers, which, when subjected to composting processes, biodegrade in 180 days instead of the 500 years that conventional plastic takes.
One of the main novelties are compostable pastry bags, as this is an item widely used by chefs with a very short shelf life, which ends up in the generation of high levels of waste. In addition, vacuum-sealed bags are the trend of the moment in the gastronomic world for their contribution to extending the shelf life of foodstuffs. They have smooth and embossed models and a visible and delimited space to label the package and to have clarity on sealing and expiration dates.
In addition to these two formats, innovative extra virgin olive oil pipets have been added to replace the traditional plastic sachets. They are made from seaweed and have the great advantage of a single dose of 10 ml that allows you to dress salads, pizzas and any preparation with just one squeeze. The packaging is not only compostable, but can even be ingested once used. In the same line, its bulbs, with smooth and flexible tips, are an excellent alternative because, unlike paper bulbs, they do not fall apart when in contact with liquids and are even reusable.
“We worked hand in hand with the industry and also with gastronomy students to learn about their real needs and offer options that were functional to them. From that we created this line that we aim to consolidate by 2023 with new launches and customized developments depending also on the particular requirements of the institutions”, said Rodrigo Sandoval, CEO of I Am Not Plastic, adding that the reception has been very positive as hotels, restaurants and cafes have understood that they play a key role in the fight against single-use plastics. In fact, Sandoval says that they already have major international hotel chains as clients and that they, from Chile, have promoted the change in their foreign branches.
All the products of the new HORECA line are available at www.iamnotplastic.cl with special prices for wholesalers and shipments throughout the country.
