The IT Nerd

By Travis Johnston, Co-Founder and COO of Aropha

Sustainability is becoming a growing concern for consumers of all age demographics. In fact, 82% of consumers across age demographics are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging, and when looking at Gen-Z consumers that number jumps to 90%. Additionally, 71% of consumers have chosen a product in the last six months based on its sustainability credentials. 

With so much interest in sustainability, the biodegradable packaging market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.8% from 2022 to 2032. Currently, packaging made 100% from synthetic plastics, most commonly derived from nonrenewable feedstocks, is still extremely popular even amidst mounting environmental concerns. This is largely due to the low production cost associated with these materials. However, with increasing focus being placed on eco-friendly practices and products, more biodegradable packaging options will be placed on the market. This should bring up one critical question inside every packaging company thinking about creating, distributing, or selling a biodegradable packaging product: What can you do to stand out in the growing biodegradable packaging market?  

Set Your Biodegradable Packaging Apart

Functional Design

The functionality of your packaging is crucial to ensuring your products stand out in the biodegradable packaging market and is enabled by the design. Functional designs include packaging that is strong enough to protect the contents during handling and shipping, can provide adequate barriers against moisture and oxygen, and still meets the market needs of the consumer. Functional packaging designs can either drive material selection or be driven by the initial material selection in some cases. It is important to understand the materials being used and ensure they can meet the end product requirements.

Aesthetic Appeal

Not only does the functionality of the packaging matter immensely, but the aesthetic appeal must also attract customers. Many times the sensory properties of the packaging (e.g. how the packaging looks and feels) can draw end consumers in and push them toward a purchase. With so many products on the market, it is important to detail your packaging with eye-catching branding to grab the attention of your customers and nudge them towards purchasing your product over another. 

Ecolabels

Ecolabels have become a critical part of product marketing in nearly every industry. Trusted labels provide a shorthand way to deliver information about the environmental characteristics and impact of a particular product. Examples of different properties that have ecolabels available include the percentage of recycled materials, the carbon footprint, biodegradability, and many more. Conveying the environmental friendliness of a product effectively to consumers is critical to drive purchases and trigger the “greenconsumption effect”. 

Turn to Aropha to Help You Succeed in the Biodegradable Packaging Market 

At Aropha, we are dedicated to making biodegradability testing affordable for, and available to, all companies. We combine AI biodegradable prediction software with lab testing to provide you with the information you need to make sure your products conform to industry standards while standing out in the biodegradable packaging market. 

When you work with Aropha, you will be able to start with our AI-drive biodegradability prediction software, ArophaAI. This software takes the known chemical structure of your products and accurately predicts their biodegradability instantly. By using ArophaAI, you will be able to determine which materials are the best candidates for lab testing, saving you substantial research time and budget. 

Then, when you move to validate promising samples through lab testing, we will get started on the process right away to make sure your products get the appropriate results for claims substantiation. Our lab offers a wide range of biodegradation tests, including various OECD, ISO, and ASTM tests for freshwater, marine, soil, industrial compost, home compost, and anaerobic environments. We are also experienced working with a wide range of products, from raw materials to finished articles.

We can also help you early on in your journey to obtain an ecolabel. With our high-throughput biodegradability screening, we will take pilot samples in research and development, testing them for biodegradability in compliance with ISO/IEC 17025:2017, ensuring high-quality data.  

Our team is here to help you gain insights into and validate the biodegradability and ecotoxicity of your packaging throughout development. Contact our team today to get started.

Aropha, a leading laboratory focused on advancing biodegradable material discovery and testing through lab automation and AI predictive modeling, today announced that it has raised $1 million in a Series Seed funding round. The round was led by Comeback Capital, with participation from Lightbank and Right Side Capital Management (RSCM).

Aropha works directly with companies to provide rapid biodegradation testing and implement AI screening into their product development processes. The funding will be used to expand Aropha’s current laboratory operations, increase industry awareness, and fund the development of its biodegradation prediction model, ArophaAI.

With over 145,000 tonnes of microplastics used in the EU each year and new legislation requiring 100% of single-use packaging to be recyclable or compostable by 2032 in California, the demand for cost-effective and efficient biodegradation testing is rapidly increasing. Aropha is well-positioned to significantly impact the testing industry, as even one of the most common, short biodegradation studies may cost over $10,000 according to the EPA with some complex, lab-based simulation tests reaching over $300,000.

To date, Aropha has helped more than 80 customers with their biodegradation testing through both in-lab and in-silico testing. Year-over-year booked revenue at the end of Q4 saw 190% growth. The company also recently published a free version of its predictive model, ArophaAI-2.

Aropha plans to continue expanding its current testing facility, invest heavily in its predictive model development, and strengthen relationships with long-term partners and appropriate accreditation bodies.