Sustainable Spray PAckaging

Taking inspiration from conventional plastic wrap used to protect cucumbers, in this project agricultural waste products in the form of carrots (or other produce that could not be sold for aesthetic or quality reasons) were used as a source for extracting high quality cellulose fibers that can be used in a formulation as a sprayable protective coating that can be directly applied to the surface of fruits and vegetables. Our labscale tests showed a significantly prolonged shelf life of cucumber of more than 2 weeks on par with the traditional materials while coming completely from renewable resources that would otherwise be wasted.

The project was carried out in collaboration with Lidl Switzerland and was selected as one of the finalists for the Swiss Technology Award 2023 in the Swiss Innovation Forum (SIF). The video showcasing the project and our partners from Lidl for the award ceremony can be seen below.

This work was supported by an Innosuisse Grant (53613.1 IP-EE) and has been disclosed in a patent application and scientific publications in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering and International Journal of Biological Macromolecules.

The work has also been widely reported through the Empa media release Ecological coating for bananas with a wide coverage in national and international media including NZZ, SRF, BBC and Fast Company.