Packaging Innovations 2019: interview with Myriam Moeyersons

11 September 2019
Packaging Innovations 2019: interview with Myriam Moeyersons

From Wednesday 11th to Thursday 12th of September, London is hosting its annual Packaging Innovations & Luxury Packaging trade fair. This year is particularly important for sustainable packaging, as it marks the debut appearance of PlasticFreeLandTM developed by A Plastic Planet.

Biome Bioplastics is one of the eight companies selected to showcase the possibilities of biomaterials and let visitors experience them first-hand at PlasticFreeLandTM. Biome Bioplastics can be found at Booth N64.

We asked Myriam Moeyersons, Biome’s Sales Manager, what she is looking forward to the most at the event, plus how compostables fit into a plastic-free future.


Why are you attending this year’s Packaging Innovations?


The event brings together the key stakeholders of the packaging industry, from manufacturers to brands and retailers. It is the ideal place to ensure that we are up to date with current packaging needs, and be able to offer a tailored solution that fits and enables the growth of a circular bioeconomy.

Packaging plays a central role in our contemporary lifestyle, yet we can still see much confusion regarding end-of-life options for plastic packaging. Solving our plastic predicament cannot solely depend on discarding plastic packaging. Instead, a systemic approach is required that rethinks packaging altogether while offering a viable end-of-life solution for discarding plastic packaging.



What are you most looking forward to?


Meeting key industry stakeholders and discovering at what stage they are at in integrating the circular economy principles within their packaging offering.

We hope to see new partnerships and networks come out of this event, as we can play a significant role in helping companies integrate compostable packaging into their business.



What were the main challenges in coming up with a plastic-free stand?


As plastic is everywhere, it was much more challenging to design the stand than we initially expected. We could not count on the traditional equipment you expect to see at a fair, such as screens, stands, etc. We had to think outside of the box to still be able to convey our messages and vision.

In the end, we are presenting a much more creative stand than we would typically have. It was challenging but rewarding, and we are looking forward to hearing visitors’ feedback.



What can visitors expect at Biome’s stand?


The main attraction is a display of the biodegrading processes of bioplastic applications. We aim to help people to visualise and understand how compostable products form an inherent part of the circular economy and how they can enable a plastic-free future.

My colleagues and I will also be present on our stand to answer all questions related to bioplastics.



How does compostable packaging fit with a plastic-free future?


Plastic-free means that no more plastic should be discarded in the environment: it entails non-plastic packaging, but also compostable bio-based plastic too. Developing compostable solutions for packaging such as pouches closes the value chain and integrates it to the circular economy.

Bioplastics can become resources: as they biodegrade back into compost, they can re-enter the agricultural industry and balance the current issues facing agricultural soil loss.