Bagasse; The product once left to rot, is now used for stand-out packaging
|July 14, 2022Unlike other materials in the eco family, Bagasse seems to be unheard of for many. At Rooland, we admire Bagasse for its cost-effectiveness, quality, customisation ability and of course, its sustainability. Join us as we take a deep dive into the amazing world of; BAGASSE!
Bagasse – The soldier of eco
The pulpy residue pictured in the middle of this image is our dear friend bagasse that we speak of! Bagasse is acquired in large quantities from countries like Thailand, China, Vietnam, and Brazil, where sugar production is generally high. What is most shocking is that until recently, Bagasse was considered a waste product that was left to decompose, or be discarded – Poor Bagasse, you have so much potential!
This fibrous residue is obtained from the discards of sugar production once the juices have been extracted from each sugarcane stalk; By the way, this production chain also reduces water usage and CO2 consumption. What we find most important is that Bagasse is made of 100% compostable materials- it won’t pile on dumpsites for decades or poison our oceans.
Why Bagasse- aren’t other sustainable options enough?
Being a tree-free resource, Bagasse has what all others lack – Sustainability AND longevity. A sugarcane harvesting campaign (of which bagasse is a by-product of) often runs for 160 days or 5.5 months! If we compared this to the 10-20 year growth process of a tree, we can see why Bagasse is revolutionising sustainable packaging. This is not to discredit paper, but to compliment such a long production process with one that is much shorter!
As you can tell, we are bagasse lovers. But in case you are interested, here is a suite of other sustainable packaging options;
- Boxes: mailer boxes, product boxes, clamshell boxes and already set-up boxes
- Tubes: cardboard tubes, metal tubes
- Pouches: compostable stand up pouches & compostable flat pouches
- Labels: compostable labels and eco-vinyl waterproof labels
- Bags: tote bags from hessian & hemp
- Large corrugated boxes: for bikes, refrigerators and TVs (etc.)
- Custom inserts: in moulded bagasse & paper
- Bottles: Ocean plastic, PCR plastic and glass bottles
Visit rooland.com to learn more about these package design and our offerings.
Types of products that we can make from Bagasse:
Oh well isn’t this the best topic of all. People often don’t know what bagasse is, let alone what types of products can be made from it. Roo is here to enlighten you, and let you in on all of the Bagasse secrets.
Tech;
Tech comes in all shapes and forms, which is why the versatile bagasse material is so great for it. Tech packaging can be circular, rectangular, square, cylindrical or completely customised to your needs!
This was Roo’s bagasse conceptualisation for a tech company. This was crafted, designed and executed using just Bagasse! This product required a personalised design tailored to this exact product – Personalised and unique, just how we like it!
Cosmetic;
The cosmetic industry is the top offender of plastic waste, contributing to 120 billion units of plastic waste ANNUALLY – This hurts our eco-pledged hearts. The good news is that cosmetics can be made eco using bagasse packaging! This includes lipstick, skincare, make-up, haircare and so, so much more!
Food and Beverage;
Bagasse is most popularly known for its food and beverage packaging. While ‘well known’ Bagasse is yet to be introduced by many companies around the globe; they are missing out! Some examples of bagasse products in this industry are; Cups, Takeaway containers, packaging for food products and more. Don’t you think it is time to start levelling up and putting your foot in the eco door? If you are thinking to yourself, Roo, how can I make a change? Well, we think we have made it pretty clear- Make the switch to bagasse!
Miscellaneous;
Then there are miscellaneous goods. As we previously mentioned, Bagasse is so versatile and can be used to make so many different things. Even the wildest of ideas can be crafted into packaging, packaging inserts or so much more! Let us take a look at our awesome client;
This partner came to Rooland hoping to make their planting boxes eco-friendly and sustainable. We set to work to create a durable eco-friendly plant holder made from Bagasse material. The result, well, we think it speaks for itself! Not only is their packaging beautiful, but it is also sustainable! Bagasse, you rule.
If you have a cool and crazy idea that you want to bring to life, contact the Roo office! We are eager to start your cool project, we are all cool cats in here…
Roo, you said bagasse can be used for…WHAT?
It’s hard to wrap your head around, but trusty Bagasse can be used for many different things. Take a read;
Food packaging; There is a high chance that you have been to a takeaway food shop, right? Well, the solid, white eco boxes are often made of processed Bagasse…A big AHA moment! OH, recently we have also seen various coffee shops use bagasse lids…we love to see it.
General customisable packaging; Those that know of bagasse often limit its use to packaging for takeaway foods, because that is all they see. The truth is, Bagasse can be used for so much more! Here at Rooland, we have revolutionised the use of Bagasse. We specialise in custom bagasse packaging for phones, tech pieces, cosmetics and so much more. We love creating custom pieces from bagasse that differentiate our clients!
Fuel source in sugar mills; Bagasse is utilised as a fuel source in sugar mills due to the heat energy it emits. New technologies are being designed to generate 200 to 300 kWh of electricity from each tonne of bagasse material. Now that’s cool!
Suzanne Haddon, Founder of Rooland, quotes the following about Bagasse,
Bagasse truly is revolutionary. It bridges the current gap between sustainability and design. Our team has so much creative freedom when it comes to creating custom packaging for businesses. Most recently we have actually been drawing on our architectural foundations to craft an amazing cake box- and you guessed it, it’s made from Bagasse!
Take a look at this awesome bagasse design we created for our client. Using very exact precision and design expertise, we were able to create perfectly aligned mobile phone packaging. It was awesome to be able to close their sustainability gap, by creating this practical all-eco, sustainable bagasse packaging; and it’s beautiful too!
The benefits of Bagasse will amaze you;
- Resistance to heat and cold; This natural product is completely resistant to heat and cold. This product can be placed in the freezer, or, used in the microwave. Who would have thought?
- Sustainable and compostable; As we mentioned previously, Bagasse is entirely compostable and sustainable. Put these bad boys in your compost, and you will have some happy soil and worms.
- High-quality; We have detailed all of the benefits, but have left the best to last. When we seek sustainable alternatives, there tends to be a trade-off for quality- NOT WITH BAGASSE! This is yet another reason why we love this product so damn much. The quality is unmatched, providing a hard shell-like structure that will not get damaged when mailed or handled.
We are so proud to be offering sustainable alternatives that are better for the environment and do not compromise on quality – Bagasse for the win!
Bagasse: The Real Deal for the Circular Economy
A circular economy is a system where resources are re-used with minimal to zero decreases in quality. It works towards eliminating waste, pollution, and environmental destruction. The most common methods used in this system are reuse, recycling, repair, remanufacturing, and refurbishment.
By using bagasse, we can reduce the waste from sugar production. What used to be discarded and left to rot can now be used by Roo and many others to create high-quality packaging!
Do you have a specific design in mind for your brand or product? We would absolutely love to hear from you! Rooland takes your ideas and dreams, and procures them into a design that is completely CUSTOM to you and your brand! We repeat, it is completely customisable.
If you want to read more about bagasse, visit our bagasse page.