Sustainable packaging made of sugarcane
The coalition represents a typical value chain for sustainable packaging. It starts with sugarcane growers that supply Socicana, the sugarcane suppliers association of Guabira in the São Paulo state. Then it goes to Raízen, a leading producer of sugar, ethanol and energy that uses sugarcane as its main input. Afterward, Braskem makes plastic pellets from ethanol that will end up in packaging produced by Tetra Pak. Tetra Pak is a global player in the packaging industry, supplying many of the household brands we use every day. In keeping with its mission to foster sustainable development, Solidaridad coordinated the creation of this supply chain as an example of transforming sugarcane, an agricultural product, into a high-tech product with high added value: “green plastics” make packaging more sustainable.
Consumers not aware of bioplastics
Most consumers do not know that the packaging they use could be produced from a renewable source like sugarcane. Fátima Cardoso of Solidaridad Brazil said, “If consumers are not aware of this, it means they don’t appreciate the true value of the product. This value lies in its improved environmental impact, and its contribution to the well-being of growers, agricultural workers and rural communities.”
Debate about a sustainable future for sugarcane
The campaign will officially launch on 22 September at an event in the Centro Brasileiro Britânico in São Paulo. The campaign has its own website (in Portuguese), and also includes a TV documentary on the development of this value chain (see the trailer). The campaign “Sugarcane: A Culture of Innovation” is an open invitation to consumers, opinion leaders and other stakeholders to take an interest and become part of the debate about the possibilities for sugarcane in contributing to a more sustainable future.