Plant-based Protein Powder Gets Plant-based Pouch

Since 2009, Denver-based PlantFusion has been dedicated to producing nutrient-dense supplement options that are 100% plant-based and allergen-free. In addition to producing products of “impeccable quality,” the company also believes it has a responsibility to foster change within the industry, including reducing the use of plastic packaging. That’s according to Phil Vigeant, PlantFusion’s CEO and co-founder, who adds, “We see plastic as a big problem that needs other solutions, and the consumer needs options.”

PlantFusion’s product range includes protein and meal replacement powders as well as vitamin, mineral, and herbal supplements, many of which are Certified Organic, Non-GMO, kosher, and vegan. Like most powdered supplement brands, PlantFusion packages most of its products in plastic tubs—a situation the company felt compelled to change. “With plastic bottles being the overwhelming norm, we saw an opportunity to make a valuable contribution to the forward momentum of sustainable options,” Vigeant says.

Read this related article, “Compostable Packaging: ‘A Solution, Not Every Solution’”

To this end, the company spent more than a year researching global options for plastic-free packaging for its Organic Plant Protein powder. Above all, it was looking for packaging that was 100% biodegradable and compostable. It also needed a material that could provide the necessary moisture and oxygen barriers to keep its product ingredients fresh.

The last consideration was the availability of the material. According to Vigeant, “Accessibility was key to guaranteeing our ability to provide it to our customers consistently and continue to use it for other products.”

PlantFusion considered using paper, but it didn’t offer the necessary moisture barrier and couldn’t seal as well as bioplastics. They also found that post-consumer recycled material didn’t break down as they needed it to. “Therefore, to be as environmentally friendly as possible and to protect the integrity of the product inside, we landed on a multilayer plant-based substrate,” Vigeant explains.

Before settling on a packaging supplier, PlantFusion did its due diligence to ensure any material it used was certified by a third party as being compostable. Likening the emerging compostable packaging market to the wild west of organic certification 20 years ago, Vigeant says he is wary of supplier claims. “It’s not that a supplier might be nefarious, they might just be oversimplifying what compostable means,” he says. “The bottom line is that it was really important to us that the packaging had BPI [Biodegradable Products Institute] certification, because that means it’s gone through a specific process.”

After vetting a number of “compostable” packaging suppliers, PlantFusion landed on a proprietary vendor whose materials offer the desired BPI credentials. The company can also supply the needed volume of packaging for PlantFusion’s current and future needs.

As described by Vigeant, the new gusseted stand-up pouch for PlantFusion’s Organic Plant Protein is constructed of a “natural paper print layer, a mineral barrier layer, a plant-based barrier layer, and a plant-based sealant layer.” The plant-based layers use a blend of materials derived from eucalyptus and cassava root. Both the pouch and its reclosable zipper component have been certified by BPI as being commercially compostable. Vigeant adds that in-house tests showed that the material can also be composted at home using a Lomi countertop composting machine.

Read this related article, “Bakery Swaps to Compostable Film for Frozen Products”

Printed on the back of the new pouch is the BPI Compostable logo, with the copy, “Commercially compostable only. Facilities may not exist in your area,” along with a certification number consumers can use to find a commercial composting facility near them, “in the event they do not have a home composter,” Vigeant says.

The new 12.2-oz gusseted pouch for PlantFusion’s Organic Plant Protein in Creamy Vanilla Bean and Rich Chocolate varieties was launched in July 2024. According to Vigeant, the cost of the package is nearly double the price of single-use plastic, but he says the company felt it was imperative to take the first steps in mitigating plastic use. As of presstime, the company’s full organic fermented line, including its Alkalizing Greens, Fruitful Greens, Beet Powder, and Cacao Greens, will be available in the compostable packaging.

PlantFusion products are sold at natural product retailers such as Natural Grocers, Whole Foods Market, and local health food stores as well as online at plantfusion.com and Amazom.com.  PW