Sustainable Packaging- March 2023

Eco-Products’ Vanguard clamshell is the first molded fiber item made with no-added PFAS to be approved by the Compost Manufacturing Alliance

Vanguard is a groundbreaking line of compostable plates and containers made from molded fiber. The award-winning products use a proprietary chemistry to achieve grease resistance without the addition of PFAS, part of a class of materials sometimes referred to as “forever chemicals.”

CMA provides field disintegration testing through several prominent processing methods to ensure products sent to industrial compost facilities adequately break down within the production cycle. In an ongoing project testing different molded fiber products, the Vanguard 9-inch, three-compartment clamshell met the requirements for CMA’s windrow technology approval (CMA-W). Additional Vanguard items are in the testing process now with results expected later this year.

“Eco Products’ certification provides the CMA network of windrow processors with products that not only meet lab and field disintegration standards, but also fill a critical void in the supply chain for PFAS-compliant fiber materials,” said Janet L. Thoman, Compliance Director for the Compost Manufacturing Alliance. “We applaud Eco-Products’ diligent efforts to create products that work for consumers and composters.”

Made from reclaimed and renewable molded fiber, the Vanguard line includes, plates, bowls, trays, containers and portion cups. They are microwave-friendly, cut-resistant and work for take-out and delivery.

Vanguard has received a number of important distinctions and approvals. In January 2020, the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) instituted new rules requiring all BPI-Certified items to be under 100 parts per million of total organic fluorine, and free of intentionally added PFAS. Vanguard was the first line of molded fiber products in the industry to achieve BPI Certification under these new rules.

That earned Vanguard the first-place award for Innovation in Manufacturing in the bi-annual Foodservice Packaging awards competition. In 2021, Vanguard achieved GreenScreen™ Silver designation, making Eco-Products the first manufacturer to earn the GreenScreen designation for a foodservice packaging. Since then, Eco-Products has expanded the Vanguard line to feature over 40 unique shapes and sizes of products — making it easily the most comprehensive assortment of no-added PFAS molded fiber products available anywhere. Eco-Products offers a wide range of plates, cups, utensils, straws, trays and containers made from renewable and post-consumer recycled resources