German start-up presents fully sustainable packaging

Tonnes of plastic are drifting in the oceans. The heaps are becoming increasingly large and packaging greatly contributes to this growing mountain of waste. Although the sector is taking steps towards the production of more sustainable packaging, a group of Germans believed this was not enough. Three years ago, they decided to develop a fully sustainable packaging. The end result: a packaging made from leaves.

"We started in 2013 as a start-up with research into sustainable packaging," explains Carolin Fiechter, CFO of the Leaf Republic. After three years of research and prototypes, they have made so much progress that a fully-fledged production is already possible. Since September, they have been producing leaf-based packaging on a commercial scale. It mainly concerns tableware and packaging for salads.

Fully biodegradable
The raw material for the packaging is imported from Latin America and Asia. "We have a strong belief that sustainability is the future," continues Carolin. "We work together with NGOs and other organizations in the countries where we import; therefore, we are sure that the women picking the leaves receive a fair salary and make an honest product." The final production of the plates takes place in Germany.

For the production, the company relies on a special type of leaf that contains sufficient cellulose to be pressed into a shape and remain green after drying. Each product consists of three layers. The outer two are leaves, while the inner layer is made of cardboard. This paper, however, is made from the waste that occurs when the leaves are processed. Actually, the whole package is made from leaves. "The packaging is fully biodegradable within 28 days," states Carolin.

"We are getting very enthusiastic reactions to the products. Everyone wants to touch and use the packaging, because it is such a special product. You can really feel the leaves." Although Leaf Republic is currently still able to meet the demand, there is a shortage. "We need to increase the production to be able to meet the demand in the future. We have built all the machines ourselves." The company is thus looking for investors. Carolin sees great potential in the packaging. "It's still a niche product, but there is a huge market out there. We believe it has enormous potential, because we don’t need to cut any trees to make paper."

More information:

Leaf Republic
Carolin Fiechter
T: +49 8918912857
M: +491702777768
F: 49 8945246389
office@leaf-republic.com
www.leaf-republic.com