We have been accustomed, since we were children, to seeing food in supermarkets unnecessarily wrapped in plastic. From the
“plastic boom
of plastic, around the 50’s polymers came into our lives to stay for a long time. There are several types such as polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyamides, PET, etc. They have made our lives more comfortable, but, in the long run they are leading us to the
“black hole” of pollution.
of pollution.
As “
to err is human” and we realized the terrible damage we are doing to our environment, we started looking for more sustainable alternatives.
and we realized the terrible damage we are doing to our environment we started to look for more sustainable alternatives.
A widely used resource is banana leaves. They are the leaves of the trees where this delicious fruit grows. Yes! Curious, isn’t it? And in fact, the use of banana leaves are used for their practicality, flexibility, ample size and properties that benefit our health. It has been used for years by the native communities of the Latin American Amazon and Indian populations.
These leaves are used as plates, decorative elements, packaging and even packaging. Here are some examples:
In the southern cuisine, in India, they are used to serve different types of dishes.
In Latin American countries such as Peru, Mexico, Venezuela and Colombia, it is used to wrap food, as it is believed that the leaves maintain antimicrobial properties that prevent food from rotting. However, the main reason is that they are used because they provide flavor and seasoning, adding a very pleasant taste to food. For example, they are used to wrap tamales (typical in Mexico, Colombia and Peru) or juane (one of the main dishes of the Peruvian jungle). This way you don’t need more packaging or a bag to move.
In Chiang Mai, Thailand, the Rimping supermarket chain has revolutionized the retail market by turning plastic on its head and completely eliminating its use as packaging. It has put the monsters of the large supermarket chains in check, opening a hopeful light to a sustainable path. It offers fresh fruits and vegetables in banana leaf wrappers, innovating the sector and showing that it is possible to take care of the environment by reducing the use of plastic as much as possible.
It serves as an example for many other food product chains that can make the leap to using packaging that is more respectful of the planet, since they are biodegradable. Congratulations, what a great idea!
It is not yet a reality, but there are sketches that state the intention to create this packaging in the style of a “tetrabrik”. The design by Israeli Tal Marco and presented at Designboom’s “Dining in 2015, a graphic design exhibition, attracted attention and showed that a sustainable alternative to typical plastic packaging may be possible.
A group of young Peruvian entrepreneurs have launched the “Bio Plant” project.
Bio Plant
“which are disposable plates made from banana leaves from the Amazon. The innovative aspect of this project is that they are disposable, but 100% biodegradable. They resist high temperatures and do not emanate substances that can be harmful to health. This product takes only 60 days to return to the earth, while the “tecnopor” type takes up to 500 years to decompose.
As we have reviewed, there are several ways to use elements that nature offers us for our daily use and that are beneficial to our health and the conservation of our planet.
A new ecological paradigm is opening paths to sustainability and environmental improvements.
Campaigns such as “
Naked Fruit
” have made a lot of noise and have been effective in changing some policies of certain supermarket chains.
We believe that more companies should adopt new processes in their production line. Adaptation can be difficult, but not impossible. Join the
eco revolution
!
For more information, questions or doubts you may have, please send us an e-mail to hello@brushboo.com.
