The ground breaking non-toxic products are 100 percent plastic-free, won’t break down into micro plastics and will never leave behind any plastic footprint on the earth.
According to Bruce Delarossi, cofounder and CEO of Cassava Bags Australia, plastic bags are a scourge on the planet. Not only are they one of the biggest causes of environmental catastrophes our race has ever seen, they take many years to decompose, release toxic substances into the soil, air and oceans and kill billions of creatures across the planet.
“Our determination to create a truly biodegradable single-use bag has been driven by our desire to save the planet,” Delarossi said.
“A lot of people say they are going to do it, but we really have and we are incredibly proud and very excited to be rolling out this extraordinary invention to the rest of the world – a single-use bags and liners that are made from the cassava plant and dissolves in hot water.”
Cassava is a hardy drought tolerant root vegetable native to South America which is now grown in many countries across the world.
“Cassava is a nutty flavoured starchy root vegetable that is extremely versatile. The most common consumed part is the root. It can be eaten whole or grated and ground into flour to make bread. It is the raw material that is also used to make tapioca,” Delarossi said.
“What we have done is extract and combine it with organic components to create a biodegradable film. This is the first time anyone in the world has done this and we have achieved this without the use of any petroleum or toxins.”
Three millennials and business colleagues with a love for the great outdoors are behind the newly launched brand – Delarossi, Chun Lau and Telusa Mapapalangi.
“Our company is founded on the belief that businesses can be a force for good and that the actions of people, both individually and collectively, have the power to change the world,” Delarossi emphasised.
“We spent a lot of time outdoors beach camping, surfing and snowboarding. But when we went on trips, we constantly found plastic accumulation in the environment across both land and the ocean.
“Experiencing first-hand the impact of pollution on the planet we decided to ensure we played a role in promoting the sustainability of Australia and the world – and so commenced our journey of research and development and Cassava Bags Australia was born.
“We already have a range of products in production. These include bin liners, pet waste bags, mail out bags, aprons, sanitation covers and a range of carry retail bags.
“Our products have been tested by internationally recognised companies as a plastic-free and biodegradable product. For example, it would only take three to six months for our bags to biodegrade in soil, or just a few days to dissolve in the ocean. They can even be safely consumed by marine animals!
“By contrast, it takes 500 years for a normal plastic bag to break down. Australians use a whopping ten million new plastic bags per day. Plastic bags do not go away. They break up into smaller and smaller pieces of plastics. Our whales, turtles, fish and sea birds are swallowing these things. It’s killing them. They need our help.”
Delarossi believes that Cassava Bags will become a household brand across Australia and the rest of the world.
“Consumers are making their wishes known; they want to consume sustainable products,” Delarossi said.
“Short term, we want to ensure our products are distributed nationally and will be available across retailers, hospitality and medical sectors to name a few. Beyond this, we want to expand into the global market.
“We also want to work towards restoring natural habitats like the Great Barrier Reef, and we want to negate the effects of climate change. It’s a tall order, but if we all do our part to swap out plastic bags for our cassava bags, it’ll be a great start to working together to achieve our dream of a cleaner planet.”
For more information, please visit www.cassavabagsaustralia.com.au/
Packaging 360 is a comprehensive knowledge sharing ecosystem for the Indian packaging industry. Our services include an online content platform to deliver news, insights and case studies; organising conferences seminars and customised training; Providing Bespoke Project Consulting, Market Research and Intelligence.
