These plates are made
from the tops of pineapples that are shredded,
mixed with some recycled paper,
and turned into sheets that are left out
to dry under the sun.
A machine presses the sheets into form.
And if these disposable plates end up
in a place with soil and water,
tiny seeds inside will blossom in a few days.
On a busy day, workers at Lifepack
can turn out 10,000 eco-friendly plates.
In addition to plates,
the company also makes sandwich containers
and coffee cup sleeves that contain seeds
from edible plants like cilantro, amaranth, and strawberry.
Lifepack caps its own carbon footprint
by working with local suppliers.
It sources pineapple waste
from a nearby processing plant.
The plant's owners charge nothing for the pineapple crowns.
They're happy that someone is willing
to turn their waste into a resource.
Husband-and-wife team
Claudia Barona and Andres Benavides
founded Lifepack 12 years ago in the city of Cali.
The couple has won several small business awards,
and they even appeared
on the Colombian version of "Shark Tank."
Colombia, like nearly every
country in the world,
is trying to reduce plastic waste.
In 2017, the country introduced a tax
on single-use plastics that increases each year.
And in some cities,
informal pickers are now paid as municipal workers.
But getting consumers to buy these products isn't easy.
The Lifepack plates retail
at about $2.50 per dozen.
That's more than double the price
of plastic plates from a big-box store.
Despite their higher price point,
Lifepack has been able to capitalize
on growing demand for sustainable packaging,
which has increased by 40% since the company started.
Its plates are now sold in three
large supermarket chains domestically.
The company also handles dozens of orders
through its website each week,
with a handful of customers in the US.
Lifepack's next challenge
is to modernize its equipment so it can boost production.
Andres and Claudia also plan
to franchise the business
and expand into new countries
to help more people cut back on plastic,
one plate at a time.