At PACK EXPO East, Verde Bioresins showcased commercial packaging examples designed to demonstrate that bio-based polyethylene can function as a direct replacement for conventional fossil-based PE, without requiring major changes to packaging or processing equipment.
Among the samples at the booth was a printed flexible pouch for Via’s Cookies, a retail-ready Snickerdoodle cookie pack produced using Verde’s sugarcane-based polyethylene resin. The application illustrates the company’s positioning: a bio-based material that runs on existing film extrusion and converting equipment while maintaining food-contact compliance.
“We basically take a bio resin and our bio resins come from various feedstocks,” said James Kahn, commercial director of Verde. “This pertains to sugar cane… it’s actually sugar cane to ethanol, to ethylene.”
The resulting ethylene is polymerized into polyethylene using the same types of facilities and processes that produce conventional petrochemical PE.
Because the chemistry at the molecular level mirrors traditional polyethylene, the company describes the material as a “drop-in” replacement. Processors may need to make minor adjustments to temperature or pressure, but the resin is designed to run on conventional stretch film, cast film, and blown film equipment.
Food packaging applications are a particular focus. All of Verde's ingredients are FDA Title 21 food contact, the company said, noting that both bio-based and biodegradable formulations meet regulatory requirements for direct food contact.
In addition to food pouches, the company highlighted retail bag applications, including bio-based and biodegradable pro shop bags produced for the Philadelphia Eagles. Broader film applications extend to both primary and secondary packaging.
A key differentiator the company emphasized is landfill biodegradation. Verde positions its materials as shelf-stable during use but capable of degrading in microbe-rich landfill environments. According to company representatives, testing is based on ASTM 5511 standards for landfill degradation. The company also incorporates proprietary plant-based additives intended to enhance and accelerate microbial activity once the material reaches a landfill environment.
The regulatory landscape is another driver of interest. With Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws emerging state by state — including in California, Oregon, and Colorado — brand owners are exploring multiple material pathways. “It’s not one size fits all,” one representative noted, describing how varying state requirements are prompting CPGs to evaluate bio-based, biodegradable, and post-consumer recycled options.
Verde indicated that sustainability motivations vary among brands, with some privately held companies pursuing bio-based materials as part of broader environmental commitments, while others are assessing options through a cost-benefit lens tied to evolving legislation.
