Students from Monash have led a packaging design for an energy ball company using leftover peanut husks.
The design has won a global award for sustainable innovative packaging.
The Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) entered seven Monash student teams for the first time, in the global WorldStar Student Awards.
Through the industry focused student-led New Frontiers Program at Monash Food Innovation (MFI), the team that won silver partnered with energy ball company, Camel, and developed sustainable packaging from peanut shells/hulls.
This by-product, or waste, is traditionally headed straight to landfill or burnt adding to atmospheric CO2.
Using 30% peanut husks in the production of fibreboard food packaging, they saw this as a means of valorising food waste and aligning the packaging with the food, New Frontiers Program.
It’s organic, vegan, no added sugar or preservatives and is also 100% compostable.
“This award means that new innovative sustainable product packaging is being recognised now,” Monash student Caterina Palma says.
“We are excited to see our peanut by-product fibreboard concept potentially being introduced and used in the future of sustainable packaging.”
The New Frontiers Program
This program sees SME’s partnered with a dedicated student team for 10-12 weeks working on a business challenge in food, beverages, market analysis, new product development and packaging.
MFI’s Design Manager, Adam Norris says, “Through the AIP and the WorldStar Student Awards, our students have a unique opportunity to have their industry partnered work displayed and recognised on a global platform.”