Zume moves from pizza to sustainable packaging

Zume Inc., the company known for automated-pizza-delivery trucks, has launched Zume Source Packaging—the first-of-its-kind packaging technology that uses plant-based materials to create a cost-competitive alternative to plastic when manufactured at scale. The company is also announcing its acquisition of Pivot Packaging, a leader in the sustainable packaging space, and the launch of a 70,000-sq-ft manufacturing plant in Southern California, the first of several planned manufacturing facilities Zume is building in the United States.

“A more sustainable food future must start with packaging. That’s why we’re teaming with some of the world’s leading food brands to reach our goal of eliminating plastic and styrofoam in fresh foods and food delivery,” said Alex Garden, Zume’s CEO and chairman.

Zume has initially set a target of replacing one billion plastic and styrofoam food containers by 2020 with the aim of reducing the number of single-use plastics from entering the waterways and landfills. Zume Source Packaging repurposes agricultural waste from sources such as bagasse (sugarcane fiber), bamboo, wheat, straw, and other organic fibers. The use of agricultural waste significantly reduces water and energy use and carbon emissions in its production and disposal relative to plastic and styrofoam. After use, Zume’s compostable packaging breaks down into organic material and can be used again to regenerate soil or other organic matter.

Compostable packaging in its current state can’t mirror the adaptability and durability characteristics of plastic and is up to 50%–100% more expensive than plastic. Zume Source Packaging addresses these historical challenges with its proprietary set of formulas and forming and finishing processes to create moldable fiber that is intended to maintain the freshness and quality of perishable food compared to paper-based packaging.

The company is driving down the cost of molded fiber by innovating a new flexible manufacturing cell technology production technique that can produce unique shapes with higher yields and faster cycle times than traditional manufacturing methods. The company’s packaging business is protecting this innovation with an IP strategy.

Zume first entered the food packaging industry in 2016 with the launch of the Zume Pizza Pod: the first 100% compostable pizza box made of sugarcane. Produced with fibers from sugarcane waste, the Pod helps keep pizza fresh and warm in delivery and provides an environmentally friendly alternative to cardboard and was recognized by Dupont as a packaging innovator and Diamond Finalist in the 29th DuPont Awards. With the acquisition of Pivot Packaging, with whom Zume codeveloped the Pod, that design is now being transformed into other prepared food containers such as cups, bowls, plates, utensils, and serving tray