Biofach 2024 live: Pléta upcycles palm leaves into takeout packaging to boost Nepalese profits

15 Feb 2024 --- Pléta is piloting a range of biodegradable food packaging, plates and utensils upcycled from a bountiful natural resource — fallen leaves from the Areca palm. At the organic food trade fair Biofach in Nuremberg, Germany, Food Ingredients First speaks to company co-founder Adam Serilmez about the product’s versatility and scale of impact.

The company supports marginalized farming groups by directly involving Nepalese women of lower castes who are included as the “most important links in the production chain.”

“The leaf is coming from the Areca palm, which is also called the betel nut palm,” Serilmez highlights. “The leaves fall down and our people collect it from the ground, wash it and we process it in a mold with heating and pressure, which results in different products.”

“Our material is very strong and no pesticides or chemicals are used in its treatment. You can clean it with water and some soap, and it can be used multiple times.”

At Biofach, Pléta is exhibiting its range of trays, takeaway containers, bowls, spoons, straws and utensils.Biodegradable but durable
At Biofach, Pléta is exhibiting its range of trays, takeaway containers, bowls, spoons, straws and utensils, which Serilmez notes are extensively reused by customers due to their durability. The material’s aesthetic resembles wood grain patterns.

All the products are washable, leak-proof, biodegradable, stove and microwave safe, and free of plastic and synthetic sealants.

Since Pléta’s items are untreated and chemical-free, they will return to the natural cycle without any major problems and will not leave a bitter aftertaste. The products can be disposed of in the garden compost or in the organic waste bin, where they disintegrate in three months.

The items can also be placed inside the refrigerator, oven or microwave. The plates can be placed in the oven for approximately 30 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius, or in the microwave at approximately 600 watts for two minutes.

“We currently have a production output capacity of around 200,000 to 300,000 pieces,” highlights Serilmez. “We are looking for investors to help us scale with new machines and a warehouse facility.”

“In the future we want to share our innovation with other companies, teaching them how to process the leaves using the equipment we use, which helps grow the industry. This is the impact we hope to make on society.”

Conceptualizing greener plates
Two years ago, the idea behind Pléta was conceptualized by its co-founders in Dorsten, North Rhine-Westphalia. They drew inspiration from their work as tour operators, where they offered cultural trips across Nepal.

“This means we are closely connected to the country and its residents. During countless temple visits and pujas and our Momo cooking class, one plate in particular caught our eye. People used taparis, formed from fresh leaves, for their meals,” highlights Paul Harazim, co-founder.

Together with the Nepalese organization Leaf Plus, the first products and shapes were created for the German market in 2019.

“The idea quickly spread via social media and demand for our palm plates grew,” says Harazim. “In February of this year we published our project for the first time on Startnext, the crowdfunding community platform.”

“The aim of our campaign was to make people realize that our production is already underway in Nepal but the Nepali market does not have the purchasing power. To expand local capacity and develop the first sales channels in Germany, we needed €15,000 [US$16,100] to cover the basic costs. We achieved the project together with our great community.”

The range of Areca palm products are washable, leak-proof, biodegradable, stove and microwave safe, and free of plastic and synthetic sealants.The use of leaf plates has always been a part of Nepali Hindu culture. The plates and bowls made from leaves are used in all religious and cultural ceremonies or temple sacrifices as they are considered sacred. 

In the local tradition, whenever ceremonies are hosted at a person’s home, wives of neighbors and relatives come to visit and help prepare the plates for the festival.

“Most of our employees are Nepalese women, who receive more than double the average salary in Nepal,” says Serilmez.

“Right now in Nepal we are the only producers at this scale and we have a virtually unlimited amount of leaves. In one year, the trees drop their large leaves seven times. There are currently 30 million Areca palms in Nepal, so multiply that by seven.”

Bio-based materials are increasingly coming into the spotlight, particularly in Europe, where more food companies have begun signing off on the EU Green Deal to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic food containers.

Other novel bio-based food packaging solutions recently featured on Food Ingredients First include CJ Biomaterials’ patented biopolymer being scaled in a “first of its kind” noodle cup.

By Benjamin Ferrer, reporting live from Biofach in Nuremberg, Germany