A startup company from Oban, Scotland is currently developing climate-friendly packaging made from onion peels. The aim of the unusual idea is to reduce waste and reduce emissions.
Environmentally friendly packaging made from onion peels is the declared goal of the Scottish startup HUID. (Photo: Colin / CC BY-SA 3.0)
Renuka Ramanujam, CEO of HUID, is a former textile student who first used onion peels as a source of clothing dye. The 30-year-old’s company sources waste trays from agricultural businesses.
Their latest field of experimentation: the development of cardboard-like materials and highly flexible alternatives to films – made from onion leftovers. The company is supported by the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, an industry-led body.
Onion peels also have antimicrobial properties, so these packages could help extend the shelf life of perishable foods contained within.
When producing the eco-packaging, high-quality cellulose is extracted from the outer onion skins and combined with a biopolymer blend. So with substances that are made from natural sources such as proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
“I wanted to find a solution out of something that would be different.”
The goal is clear: HUID tries to use innovative ideas to help reduce plastic waste. In British households alone, that’s what it says BBCan estimated 90 billion pieces of plastic packaging are thrown into the trash every year. Unimaginable.
Renuka Ramanujam describes: “I experimented with the material on my bedroom floor. Plastic releases chemicals into food when heated. I wanted to find a solution out of something that was different.”
“Imagine any meal – it probably has onions in it. Onions are a global culinary staple. They are everywhere, so their waste is everywhere,” she continues.
Their first product should finally come onto the market in 2025. Paper made entirely from onion peels. “Trees are of great importance for the environment because they provide habitat and store carbon,” says Renuka Ramanujam, explaining her plan. “Onions, on the other hand, don’t have that responsibility.”
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