Straw's New Value: Agricultural Research Institute Develops Food-Grade Packaging and Planter Containers

(CNA Taipei, June 29) The Ministry of Agriculture is promoting the circular utilization of surplus agricultural resources. The Agricultural Research Institute has successfully used surplus straw from fields to develop food-grade packaging materials such as egg cartons and fresh produce trays, as well as planter containers. These products are biodegradable and environmentally friendly.

The Ministry of Agriculture announced in a press release today that the institute's technology creates new industrial uses for straw, transforming it into a circular material with both environmental and industrial value, demonstrating significant achievements in the development of a circular agricultural economy.

The Agricultural Research Institute pointed out that Taiwan has a vast rice cultivation area, producing approximately 1.5 million metric tons of straw annually. Due to the straw's large volume, fluffiness, difficulty in collection and transportation, and high processing and reuse costs, it has not been fully utilized for added value.

To enhance the added value of straw, the institute developed a low-pollution, low-alkalinity fiber treatment technology. Combined with mechanical processing, this replaces the strong alkaline chemical agents used in traditional straw pulping processes, converting straw into a moldable and biodegradable raw straw pulp, thus creating a resource for agricultural circular materials.

The institute stated that the current pulp yield from straw can reach about 60% to 70%, demonstrating good potential for material utilization. In terms of food-grade packaging applications, straw pulp is used to develop molded pulp products that can be made into fresh produce trays, egg cartons, and other packaging materials according to the needs of different agricultural products and food packaging. Compared to traditional plastic products, straw pulp packaging uses plant fiber as the main raw material, offering advantages such as biodegradability, moldability, and lower environmental impact, balancing product protection with environmental sustainability.

The institute noted that food-grade packaging made from straw can be further optimized in the future for food contact safety, water resistance, structural strength, and mass production stability, enhancing its potential as a food-grade eco-friendly packaging material.

In addition to food packaging, the institute has also developed planter containers from straw pulp. These containers can naturally decompose over time after repotting or transplanting, offering both cultivation convenience and plastic reduction benefits, thereby promoting the development of agricultural production materials towards low-carbon and circular models.

The institute reported that it has already collaborated with manufacturers to successfully prototype 100% straw fiber food-grade meal trays and is pilot-producing egg cartons and biodegradable plant pots. In the future, it will continue to refine the straw pulp processing technology, improve product durability, and work with the industry to promote commercialization verification, gradually building a complete circular utilization chain from field straw collection, fiber processing, to the manufacturing of environmentally friendly products. (Editor: Chang Ya-ching) 1150629

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